Retribution
by ArissaMay
Summary: Mizuho is destroyed. Demolished. No survivors... Save for one. Now a certain ravenhaired ninja seeks revenge on the ones who killed her people... But what happens when a certain Chosen tags along for the ride?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_(I'd like to dedicate this to all the Sheelos lovers out there, especially those talented few who write fics here on With this fanfic, I'm gonna try and join the 'talented few'. Whether I succeed or not... That's up to you readers. On to Retribution.)_

"Hi-yah! Pyre Seal!" With a flash of light, the crimson drake hovering before her fell to the ground, it's screech of pain coming to a sudden and spine-chilling end. The raven-haired ninja surveyed her work with satisfaction. This was the first drake in months to be slain by the people of Mizuho, and her quarry would be welcomed with great enthusiasm. Dragon Mail was the strongest of armor known to Tethe'alla… And by killing this drake, Sheena assisted in it's creation. She smirked slightly, already imagining the look of shock on Kuchinawa's face as he watched her carry a drake into the village. But wait-… Kuchinawa was dead.

The death of her rival had come as no great shock to the violet-clad ninja; she knew the moment his secret got out that he would be killed by someone or another. It served him right, working with the Pope. Still though, it was hard for Sheena to remember that he was no longer there to ridicule her, to remind her each and every day that she shouldn't have been born. It was a relief, sure, but she often found herself thinking, 'Ha, I can't wait to see the look on Kuchiniwa's face when he hears about THIS!' or something of the likes. The irony of it is, Kuchiniwa was the only one who hated Sheena so; that's, in a sense, why he hated her. Because, despite her tragic failure to make a pact with Volt, the village of Mizuho had still adored her. Given a while to wallow in self-pity and resentment, mind you. Even after all that, Sheena was still the Chief's daughter, loved by all. Well, nearly all. Kuchiniwa, respected yet never truly liked, hated her with a vengeance. '_Good riddance,'_ she thought resolutely.

Heaving the drake up over her shoulder, the ninja staggered slightly at the added weight, but somehow managed to remain upright. A single drop of dragon blood touched down on her forearm, and she gazed at it a moment. A perfect shade of crimson. Just like the drake itself. Shaking her head to clear away her wandering thoughts, Sheena balanced herself and started for home.

Though the forest was an endless labyrinth of trees, Sheena could follow the path back to Mizuho with her hazel eyes closed. Which she decided to do. With a smile that expressed her gratitude to have a distraction from the monotonous trek back to the village, she slowly shut her eyes. Reorienting herself to this sudden darkness, the violet-clad ninja took a step forward, then another. Soon she was walking at normal pace once more. Not once did she stumble or fall, nor did she make a fool of herself by colliding with a tree. The steady in-out of her breathing was all Sheena could hear. The forest was silent. Too silent. Suddenly the smell of smoke assaulted her senses. Her eyes snapped open in alarm. A steady stream of smoke was billowing into the sky… And the source was Mizuho!

Throwing the drake from her shoulders with all thoughts of Dragon-Mail forgotten, the ninja raced through the trees toward her village. A blur of purple, she deftly weaved amongst the trees with almost uncanny speed. The only thought in her mind was to save her village, but that single thought was desperate enough to send her mind into turmoil. On winged feet, or so it seemed, the raven-haired Sheena closed the gap between her and Mizuho… But the scene that unfolded before her made her cry out in anguish. Mizuho, the mystical village of the ninjas, Sheena's beloved home was no more.

_(I know this first chapter sucks, but bear with me. It gets better after this. This is my first serious fic in a loooong time, and my first Tales of Symphonia fic ever. The next chapter will be up before the day is over. Hehe.)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_(Thanks to my single reviewer so far. I know the first chapter was plenty short, it was mainly just a prologue though. This one will be longer, but not as long as the main chapters. No, no Zelos yet.)_

Mizuho, the secret village of an ancient ninja culture, Sheena's lifelong home and sanctuary, was destroyed. Demolished. Sheena knew she should be crying, or at least feeling the urge to. But there was no urge, for the ninja was still too in shock to cry or feel any need to. The buildings in which her companions lived were burned beyond repair, the larger of which were still smoldering spitefully. The bodies of her fallen comrades littered the pathways, their crimson blood staining the turf on which she played as a girl. The sight was too much; Sheena had to look away. Yet when she tried, she found she couldn't. Her gaze was trapped on the blood-soaked remains of her village, soaking in every last detail. A flash of bronze caught the ninja's eye. That seemed… wrong. It took her a moment to place why, though. Ninjas never wore metal in more than palm-sized portions, for they needed to be able to move stealthily and swiftly. They needed to be able to move free of the restraints metal armor placed on them. Those bronze-armored bodies… The enemy. '_The ones who killed my people, burned down my village… The ones who took away my home.'_ Yet the Mizuho bodies outnumbered the enemy ones nearly three to one. This was a massacre. There must have been fifty of them who attacked the village, maybe more. '_The Mizuho Book! Have they taken it?'_

Suddenly, as if recalling the book of Mizuho's ninja secrets freed her from invisible chains, the raven-haired ninja was released. Her gaze was no longer locked on the scene before her… Now she turned to the woods, for any sign of where the murderers went. Their tracks were old… '_This must have happened just after I left this morning.'_ Glancing around to make sure none were left, she picked her way through the bodies and gore toward the Chief's hut. Shortly after the worlds had reunited and Sheena had returned to the village, the Chief of Mizuho had awoken from his coma and, after a brief recuperation, taken control of Mizuho once more. In the two years between then and the day of the Mizuho Massacre, as it would come to be called in the books and scrolls, the village had revived their traditions. They started making dragon-leather armor once more, yet few outside their secretive village even knew such a craft existed. They put aside all hate and malice to come together, to live side by side… And then this. One thought made itself clear amongst the turmoil in Sheena's mind: '_They never deserved this... Even Kuchinawa wouldn't deserve this fate.'_ Yet, in a sense, it was a blessing to each individual that they died that day… Then they wouldn't have to live on, live with the fact that their whole life, their home, their companions, their _family_ had been demolished in one day. One fateful day…

At last she made it to the Chief's hut. Or the remains of it, more like. It was hard to tell it was once a structure, let alone the house of the most prominent member of the village. Yet Sheena didn't hesitate, for she knew the village by heart, down to the stones that lined the pathway. She stepped into the wreckage, closing her eyes a moment. '_Over here,' _the ninja started, turning to the north, '_would be the entryway. If I stepped this way,'_ she continued, stepping through what would be the doorway into the main room of the hut, '_I'd walk through a door here. A table would be right here in front of me, and a vase to my left. The bed is straight in front of me, which means the Mizuho Book is...'_ Opening her eyes, Sheena pauses a moment to re-adjust her eyes to blood and death. For a moment, she missed the soft-edged dream world of imagination, but when she closed her eyes again all that greeted her was the black of her eyelids. '_No, I can't run away from this. This is real. No amount of wishing will get me out of this. Mizuho Book.'_ Having reminded herself of her reason for coming to this particular spot of ruins, she hastily scrambled over the wreckage of a table and over to what would have been the foot of the bed.

The Chief's chest remained intact, though badly burned. The lid still glowed orange as the last embers of the hut sought refuge in the unexpected treat. The chest was made of sacred wood… Legend has it that sacred wood would burn until the one who lit it extinguished the flame. Meanwhile, the embers regarded Sheena with contempt, as if saying 'nya-nya, can't get throoo-ooough!' She raised a hand to the chest, hesitating above the flickering embers before plunging her hand into the flame. A cry of pain chokes from her throat as the flame seared her soft skin. Gritting her teeth in determination and in an attempt to block out the pain, the ninja fought the urge to withdraw her burning appendage until at last the locks were undone and the chest was open. Cradling her hand to her chest, the violet-clad femme surveyed the damage. Third degree burns, though nothing a Panacea Bottle wouldn't soothe. She quickly gulped down the needed potion, and her burns ceased to ache. Returning her attention to the chest, she reached inside… But instead of feeling the familiar leather of the well-worn Mizuho Book, she felt a soft wooden box instead. Cocking her head slightly in puzzlement, Sheena took the box from the chest, running her fingers over it's soft, almost velvety exterior. Her fingers caught on a slip of paper, however… And what she read at last brought tears to her hazel eyes.

'Dearest Sheena… Happy birthday. I received this at my twentieth year, and now I pass it on to you. Love, Chief Igaguri.' She choked down a sob as she read and reread this letter. His familiar handwriting, so sloppy yet so refined in it's own way, brought back memories… They threatened to overwhelm the ninja, until she shook her head violently to push them away. One memory was too strong for her to resist, however… It was the day of the Chief's awakening. Her grandpa's face gazing down at her with a pride unseen anywhere else. Sheena had just finished retelling her journey to the aging man, and he soaked it in with profound interest. 'Sheena… My little Sheena, you've grown into a fine young woman. And now, the whole world is in your debt.' She'd never seen him so happy, nor so proud in her life. When the ninja was forced into reality once more, the smiling face of the Chief fading away for the very last time, she no longer had the strength to hold back the tears. And here, in the wreckage of her childhood home, Sheena Fujibayashi cried once more.

A single tear stained the paper as she read it one more time before she brought it to her chest, pressing the paper to her as if it were her dead grandpa himself. The shock was beginning to wear off; now the cruel realization was setting in. '_I'm nearly twenty now... At twenty, the successor of the Chief would take over in his or her place. I'm the sole survivor of the Mizuho ninja culture. And for the first time, I'm truly alone...'_ One by one the tears fell; when they started, not even Martel herself could stop them. She cried for the chief; she cried for the villagers, her comrades; she cried for all that was lost, all the culture and the arts that were destroyed. And then she stopped. Almost as suddenly as they had started, the tears ceased. Sheena had cried all she could cry… And now that all her tears had been shed, the ninja could think straight once more. It was as if, by releasing her tears, she had released all the misery that was building up inside her. Memories no longer threatened to overcome her; she could plan her next action, name her next destination.

'_But first...' _Rereading the letter one final time, she folded it neatly and tucked it under the pink ribbon 'round her waist. Reaching into the box, she pulled out a card. It was similar to her current one, but for one thing: Inscribed upon it was the seal of life. '_Corrine!'_ Sheena's eyes widened in surprise as the familiar face of her vulpine companion stared back at her. While Corrine was reborn as the Summon Spirit of Heart, he was never the same. The fox's spirit had vanished, merely a memory to this new, powerful beast. And now, Sheena knew where it had gone. Another note was found beneath it. 'Conicere, the card of hopes and dreams. Your Corrine must have truly cared for you, for he came to me in a dream and gave me his soul to inscribe in a card. He chose to continue on as an almost lifeless soul aiding you rather than settling peacefully into rest. For this reason, Corrine's great devotion to you, only you can touch this card. Even I can no longer touch it, now that it is completed. Pain is brought down upon any others who try and lay their fingers on its surface. And it is now yours.' Sheena looked at the card once again. She slowly lifted it from the box, as if this is a dream she may wake up from at any false move. '_Corrine... I won't let you down. I'll hunt down the people who did this to Mizuho. I'll get retribution if I spend my very last breath getting it!'_

The ninja reached into the chest a final time, retrieving the leather-bound Mizuho Book from it's resting place and tucking it under her ribbon beside the first note. Suddenly, a shift was heard above her. Hastily rising, Sheena scrambled from the wreckage, barely escaping before what little that remained of the hut came crashing down behind her. But at least all that mattered of their possessions had been saved. Sheena knelt on one knee, folding her hands and resting her forehead upon them in prayer. Prayer that, she hoped, would pass her companions into a peaceful death. Returning upright, she turned to face the remains of her city. So much was lost… But not all. '_Mizuho will survive. The ninja way of life will continue until every last one of us is dead.'_

Though Sheena proceeded to search the village, she soon realized that there was nothing left of value. All the dragon-hide armor was gone, as well as the less-powerful cards owned by the villagers. The rogues hadn't even left any food… Though good food was scarce, so that was to be expected. It was excruciatingly painful for the ninja, passing amongst the mangled bodies of her comrades, but after a while she forced herself to look up, away from the many faces. If she couldn't see them, she reasoned, she wouldn't be as tortured thinking about them. And it worked, though it took all her will-power to keep her eyes averted. Before she knew it, the entirety of Mizuho had been searched. Standing on the borders between her lifelong home and the forests beyond, Sheena knew she could stall no longer. It was time to go… To leave this bloodbathed village and seek vengeance on those who destroyed it. She takes a final look, gazing upon the ruins and remembering all that once was, before whirling and darting into the woods.

Once away from the village, she slowed. A new sense of freedom had come over her… Though it wasn't worth losing her village for, she was no longer bound by strict Mizuho life and customs. No longer must she stay close to the village, no longer must she eat, sleep, _breathe_ a certain way. She was free to adventure… It'd been quite a while since her last adventure, two years to be exact. The ninja's mind wandered to her companions in their quest to save both worlds…

Lloyd. He was the true hero of the group, though by talking to the others Sheena knew he'd started out as the obnoxious tag-along. Lloyd was none too smart, yet he was the brilliance of the group. The ninja knew that made no sense, yet it made all the sense in the world to her, as well as to any of the others. Many of them STILL questioned his possession of a brain, yet that was what made him Lloyd. He thought with his heart, not with his mind. He did what was right, no matter the consequences. He was the light, shining bright, that aided the group and kept their spirits up. It was him that at last defeated Mithos. It was him that united the two worlds. Just goes to show that brains aren't everything, eh?

Colette… Sheena chuckled slightly. It was due to the clumsiness of Sylvarant's Chosen that the group made it as far as it did. She tripped, stumbled, fell on numerous occasions… Perhaps it was luck, perhaps it was skill, but she always seemed to fall on a switch or lever that saved the group from one trap after another. Colette was too good for her own good. She went on a journey to sacrifice herself --smile ever-present, mind you-- and never told a soul of how she intended the journey to end. Even when she lost her sense of touch, her need to eat, and her need to sleep, she didn't tell a soul. She apologized for everything too, even things that weren't her fault… She was always the sacrifice, yet she did it with a smile always on her face, and Sheena secretly admired her for her courage.

Genis. Though Sheena had never truly taken much time getting to know Genis, she was amazed by his intelligence. Was it the half-elven blood? Or was he just a natural genius? Genis, genius… It even SOUNDS the same. And, though he was only eleven or so, he could still hold his own with powerful spells, something Sheena could never dream of doing. She envied his aptitude.

Raine. Goddesses, she was scary at times. Get her near an ancient relic, and she practically started foaming at the mouth. Yet that didn't really bother the others much. She was a healer, and could do the unthinkable with her healing skills… She could even resurrect the dead, though it drained her to almost death herself to perform such a feat. Whenever Sheena had a question or needed advice, it was always Raine she sought out. The half-elf always seemed to know what to say to help… Though she never sugar-coated things either. When Zelos had turned against us, she spoke unflinchingly of the moment we'd be forced to kill him… We never did, of course, for he turned back to our side to save the day. Sheena was amazed at her ability to stare at danger and fear head-on.

Presea. It was easy to forget that inside that eleven-year-old body was a twenty-eight year old woman. The girl's face was always blank in almost a lifeless way. She was almost as smart as Genis, though her knowledge was stored and relayed like a computer. She unnerved Sheena slightly, yet at the same time the ninja knew she'd never be able to go on with life as Presea did after such an event.

Regal. The famous line, 'Oh what a tangled web we weave', suits Regal well. It was Regal that killed Presea's sister many years ago… Though it was not a malicious act, but one of salvage, for poor Alicia had turned into a horrid monster from a failed exsphere experiment and had begged Regal to kill her. Still, Regal kept his wrists in shackles as punishment for what he'd done, even though he had more power than maybe even Genis when using his hands. Such self-discipline was something Sheena knew she would never even come close to having.

Zelos. That idiot Chosen… He was so full of himself he might very well explode. But he was a valuable fighter and not too bad a healer, she'd give him that. Sheena'd give him more credit, had he not tried to grope her on numerous occasions. Zelos was, for lack of better words, a pervert who used his status to attract females. Sheena smirked slightly, imagining the look on his face if suddenly his 'hunnies' were gone… It'd serve him right, too. A little tingle of protest was felt deep inside the ninja, but she pushed it away… As she'd done so many times before.

Lloyd, with his valiance. Colette, with her courage. Genis, with his intelligence. Raine, with her ability to look unflinchingly at the truth. Presea, with her ability to move on with life when it's crashing down around her. Regal, with his self-discipline. Zelos, with-… with whatever Zelos had. Everybody had something, something that made them special… Everybody except Sheena. She wasn't brave, not really, nor was she too smart. As for her ability to move on, that was demonstrated in her breakdown in her grandpa's house. Self-discipline? Eh. That would disappear if she was put under stress, she was pretty sure of that. But Sheena had nothing. She was the odd one out… Yet they still accepted her, for some reason. Because they were her _friends._ And that thought made Sheena smile. Friends, no matter what happens. No matter how many people she kills in her quest for revenge.

Suddenly, a massive form barreled into her from behind. With a gasp of surprise, the ninja was thrown to the ground, though reflexes told her to roll out of harm's way. Thank Martel for reflexes, for a moment later the razor-sharp talons of a drake dug violently into the earth where her neck was moments before. She leaped to her feet, taking the nearest stick and bringing it down hard on the still-grounded drake's wing. It cried out in pain, but it could not take flight, for Sheena had driven the stick through the wing and into the ground. She took off down the path, knowing no good would come of being caught on the scene, but soon another crimson whirl of teeth and claws was diving from the canopy. She looked to her sleeve; dragon blood! These drakes knew she'd killed one of their own, and now they wanted revenge, just as she did. Whipping out her card, the ninja cried out.

"Serpent Seal Pinion!" That drake fell to the ground, but already three more were swooping her way. She looked around her desperately… More and more crimson forms were closing in. Still, she knew she could not give up hope. With a 'Pyre Seal!' here and a 'Force Seal' there, the ninja managed to fend off drake after drake. Yet after a while, she began to tire, and the dragons just kept coming. It was an army, with an infinite amount of dispensables. The first time she faltered, the nearest drake screeched in triumph and sliced a gash down her arm. She pulled a dagger from her belt, no longer able to form the words needed for even the simplest seal. Slashing wildly, desperately, at the oncoming wave, Sheena knew she couldn't hold out much longer. Her vision was beginning to blur; she staggered away and shielded her head, only to have claws raked down her back. '_So I am to die here?'_ This was the final thought of the ninja as her vision blacked out and she collapsed to the ground.

_(This chapter's better, but not up to full throttle yet. They get progressively longer. Heh.Next chapter? Enter Zelos. Muahaha. O.oBy the way, I would have updatedyesterday but the servers were down when I finishedthe chapter.)_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_(Hehe. I'm baaack! Thanks to all of you who've reviewed. If you asked any questions or stated anything I thought needed a response, I replied. The rest of you, THANKS. Heeeere's ZELOS!)_

One moment, the ninja was falling in a state of semiconsciousness… The next, the falling had ceased. Sheena was vaguely aware of her descent being greatly slowed by a pair of strong arms, and when she _did_ land, it was softly. Though she was unsure of whether this was a dream or reality, she thought she saw a familiar flash of vermillion, smelled a familiar soft scent, heard a familiar voice. '_Don't even try! The Incredible Zelos is invincible!' _Had her mind not been jumbled, she would have recognized that laughing tone instantly, but in its current state it merely grasped desperately for some sense of why it seemed so familiar. All she knew was, the pain had gone. Whatever this familiar thing was, it was protecting her from the onslaught. Though crimson still flowed freely from her arm and many of the wounds on her back, the worst of the hurt no longer pained her. The wounds, in all seriousness, were not too deep, and had there not been so damn many of them, Sheena could have fended the drake horde off without a scratch. But she didn't know that, not yet. The ninja was still in a world where color exploded from nowhere, where creatures and faces from her past danced about her… And somewhere where, far off in the distance, a blurred figure and vague battle cries shielded her from the pain.

When Sheena blinked her eyes open once more, she winced. With consciousness came the pain that her dream-world had dulled, but at least she could now make sense of her surroundings. The raven-haired woman gasped slightly in surprise. Zelos! In her dream-world, a crimson-haired savior had come to dull the pain… Was it Zelos? Did he fight off all the dragons? The ninja's question was answered as Tethe'alla's Chosen plunged Excalibur into the chest of the last drake, sending it to the ground with a screech. She stared in horror at the mass of bodies on which it landed. There were at least a hundred, maybe more. For a second, she was no longer in the forest, but in Mizuho, the drake corpses turned into those of her kin. Gasping audibly in shock, she turned her head away and squeezed her eyes shut as tight as they would go. '_No! This is NOT the same! The drakes, they attacked me first! I didn't mean to slaughter them all...' _But Zelos, being Zelos, took her gasp of revulsion as one of admiration.

"That _was_ pretty good, wasn't it?" he boasted, making a show of waving his sword about triumphantly and sheathing it in the same manner. The ninja really DID roll her eyes this time, propping herself up on her elbows and, eventually, rising slowly and carefully to her feet. She brushed herself free of dirt, though the dirt was no competition to the blood already staining her ninja robe. Thank Goddesses she'd brought a spare with her hunting for drakes, else she'd have nothing to wear. Without a word at the Chosen, she turned and continued down the path. "Ah, ah, ah! Wait right there, my voluptuous hunny." She sighed in exasperation, turning to face the redhead and gazing at him expectantly. "I believe a 'thank you' kiss is in order."

"I could have done it myself, you know." She protested indignantly before whirling and continuing along the faint trail once more. Her hands were soon at her back, fumbling with the pink ribbon which had worked its way untied in the day's events. Retying it many times before she was satisfied, it was a few moments before Sheena was finished with her task. Slipping a hand in to check on her cargo, she felt the smooth paper of the letter. But wait!… Where was Conciere? As if on cue, the ninja heard steady footfalls running up the path behind her.

"Hey! You dropped thi-AUGH!" The redheaded Chosen ended his announcement with a cry of pain. The ninja whirled to see what had caused him such pain, expecting another drake at the best and another HORDE of them at the worst. Instead, she witnessed a sight that would bring a smirk of amusement to her lips for many years to come. Here was the Chosen, in all his brainless glory, leaping about and flailing one hand in the air as if something had bit it. The ninja couldn't help but snicker, shaking her head in disbelief at his idiocy before jogging back to join him.

"What bit _you_?" She questioned, an eyebrow raised skeptically.

"I—TOUCHED—THE—BLOODY—CARD!" He hissed through gritted teeth, having given up his flailing and now proceeded to cradle the offended arm protectively. He made a noise slightly resembling a whimper, and Sheena felt a pang of sympathy for the redhead. But, hence the word 'pang', it didn't last too long. In fact, it lasted about two seconds, until she recalled the last time he'd attempted to touch her in places he shouldn't. Half to pick up her fallen card, and half just to rub it in his face, Sheena bent down and lifted Conciere from the dirt. Zelos's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you-!"

"Corrine." One word was all Sheena had to say. It was either one word, or far too many words, for to attempt to explain would take hours, something she didn't have. Wordlessly, she stood up once more, turned, and for the third time the ninja departed down the path. Like a little lost puppy, there was Zelos coming up on her left, the shock from Conciere having worn off and his usual cocky grin hanging lazily across his face. She speeds up. "Go away, I have business to take care of."

"In Sheena-speak, that means 'Oh _please_ come with me, Zelos! You're incredibly sexy and I couldn't live without you!'" The redhead sped up to come up on her right this time, putting on a falsetto tone when acting as Sheena. The ninja snorted in a mix of amusement and skepticism, and Zelos took that as a yes. At least, until she made herself clear.

"No. In Sheena-speak, that's a nice way of saying 'Go the hell away if you value your ability to use your lower half.'" Having successfully threatened the most prominent man in all of Tethe'alla, she continued on her way, hastening her walk to leave him behind once more.

"Come on, Sheena, don't be like that…" Zelos whined, and the ninja sighed heavily, resigning herself to the fact that Zelos would end up coming along, whether she liked it or not.

"Since it seems you'll come no matter _what_ my answer is… Just don't get in my way." She mumbled. Sheena could hardly believe she was giving in, but it seemed much more trouble to fight him than to let him come along. He let out a whoop of triumph before catching up for a third time, this time back on her left. It couldn't be THAT bad, could it? Adventuring with Zelos? The ninja could think of plenty of things worse than that… Getting assaulted by a hive of killer bees, for example. Or jumping off a cliff and landing in a pit of sharp rocks. Or being eaten alive by a pack of wolverines. Or ever eating Raine's 'I swear, this REALLY IS soup!' Surprise ever again. Though she could think of plenty of things better, too. Like... Not having witnessed the mangled carcasses of her family and her people, the ruins of her home, and nearly her own demise all in the same day.

Zelos let the pair travel in silence for a while, which was quite out of character for the loudmouth Chosen. Sheena got to wondering, had she gone a bit overboard with the threats? '_If it got him this quiet, perhaps I should threaten him more often.'_ In this newfound peace, a realization came to her. Where were they going? All she knew was to find those who massacred her village and return the favor. She knew not where, when, or even how to find them. The ninja wondered if Zelos would stay quiet long enough to let her establish some semblance of a plan. Again, as if on cue, he opened his mouth once more. '_Heh. I should quit doing that, shouldn't I?'_

"You really DID need me back there, don't deny it." The redhead grinned cockily. Sheena guessed he was trying to heal his bruised ego. The ninja didn't intend to let that happen.

"Yeah, about as much as I needed a sword in my back." She retorted, making a point to keep her gaze on the forest opposite the Chosen. For a moment, she thought he looked hurt, though if he did it was probably just an act.

"So you'd rather I'd let you die there? That's what you seemed to be trying for when I got there." His voice, this time, was a bit less lighthearted. It could even be described as somewhat chilly, though only slightly. The ninja opened her mouth on reflex to retort, but no words would come. As much as she refused to admit it, he'd struck a nerve. The truth. As usual, he took her silence as the answer he was looking for. A no. An admit of defeat. An ego boost. "I thought so."

The two continued on in silence for a while. Names, places, events, anything that could prove useful to locating those responsible was running through the ninja's head. Who would wish such a fate on Mizuho? Did they have any enemies? The Pope, but he was long gone. When the Pope was killed was when Kuchiniwa returned. The Chief welcomed him openly, much to most people's dismay. After a while, however, he became accepted once more. They actually BELIEVED his bullshit about wanting to make up for his wrongdoings and being a faithful member of Mizuho. Sheena always suspected him… And, in turn, he always hated her. Subtle things he did, like push her aside on his way by. Unless they were alone. "_If YOU hadn't have shown up, I would be the chief of Mizuho, and we would be true ninjas once more. No weaklings like Igaguri would even be let live, and Mizuho would be a force to be reckoned with! These days, they let ANY trash in. Take you, for example... You should never have been born, Sheena Fujibayashi. Your life should never have existed. And trust me, I'll make sure it doesn't exist much longer."_ His words rang through her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut to block out the memories. Kuchiniwa had changed so much while he was gone... Had he not seemed so different, even at first, she may have accepted him. And the massacre would never have happened. '_No, use common sense. He was killed long before this, and if he was a spy or in cahoots with the murderers, they would have attacked far sooner.' _One thing was for sure; Sheena was careful not to be alone with him ever again.

The ninja was suddenly aware of a pair of cerulean eyes upon her. She turned to the Chosen, meeting his gaze with her own. How long had he been staring? Better question yet, why? That one was obvious… Because he was Zelos, Idiot Chosen and Prince of Perverts. Though he wasn't staring anywhere he shouldn't, was he? At last, curiosity got the better of her.

"What?" Sheena demanded.

"I dunno, something seemed… wrong. You okay?" His voice was quiet, no longer arrogant in any sense. Ah, so that curious look was his version of concern. Sheena gazed steadily into his deep sapphire eyes, still slightly skeptical of his motives. Yet the Chosen, for once, showed no signs of perversion or conceit. But she couldn't tell Zelos; for some reason, she felt that if she told, he would gain advantage over her. The ninja was slightly ashamed that, even though he was likely purely concerned, she still refused to give him any ammo for further antagonizing. "It's about your village, isn't it? Sheena, that wasn't your fault."

Her eyes widened in surprise. How did he know? Perhaps the redhead was smarter than she'd given him credit for. Still, Sheena turned away. Was she that easy to read? And… was it possible that the Chosen understood her? For the very first time since… well, since ever, Zelos seemed to be showing function above the brain stem. A heavy sigh heaved from the ninja's lungs, along with a weary, "I know…"

"Good, because blaming yourself never helps anything." He paused, suddenly turning to look searchingly behind him. The ninja whirled as well, prepared for whatever had caused his sudden interruption, but nothing met her eyes, no matter how she searched. Just forest, calm and pure.

"Zelos? What is it?" she questioned, straining her own eyes to catch whatever it was that distracted him. His eyes gazed around searchingly for another moment or two before he returned his attention to the ninja, putting on a bright smile.

"Oh, I just thought I heard something, that's all." He reassured in an overly cheerful tone. Sheena had to fight to keep from groaning; the idiotic Zelos was back, she could tell as much from his tone. Though she _was_ glad there was no true danger… Having re-established her sense of safety, the ninja relaxed once more and continued down her path. Zelos lingered a moment, a wary glance stolen over his shoulder before jogging to catch up. "Y'know, I might should heal your back. It's not a pretty sight for those of us who don't walk as fast as you." '_Yeah, thanks so much for reminding me,'_ the raven-haired ninja thought sarcastically, the sharp pain taking this moment of acknowledgement to make itself known once more. Still, Sheena shook her head.

"I'm fine. It's a shallow wound; they bleed like hell, but never do any damage." She reassured hastily, but suddenly felt a sharp jab right in the epicenter of the wound. Gasping in pain and surprise, she whirled on the redhead, who was quickly withdrawing his finger as if expecting her to bite it off. "What the hell was that for?" She raged, glaring daggars at Zelos.

"Told ya you were hurt." Zelos observed triumphantly, though his glory was short-lived as he recalled that the statement he proved wasn't one to be proud of. Sheena opened her mouth to make a comeback, but just sighed in what appeared to be disgust and turned her back on the redhead to continue on her way. "Sheena, wait." But the ninja didn't turn, didn't respond. Right now, she was furious. She was sick of being the object of the Chosen's twisted amusement. He goes and jabs her in the back, just to laugh and prove himself right? Idiot Chosen… "Sheena! Wait up!" Even at his second call, her step didn't falter. Zelos knew he'd screwed up somehow, but he was still unsure exactly how. '_Perhaps the poke was a bit too hard? But I had to make her realize she needed help…I had to remind her that she was hurt. Maybe it was the fact that I was right? Stubborn chicks like Sheena just HATE it when I'm right. I'm just too perfect for them, so they get all pissy and run off. Yeah, that's probably it.'_ But Zelos couldn't let her just storm off like that. It was against his nature to let a hunny go without a fight. Sure enough, the ninja heard heavy footfalls running up behind her once more. This time, she pointedly turned her head the other way, refusing to acknowledge his presence. He paused, coming up on her other side, and the ninja turned her head the opposite way once more. He tried this maneuver twice more before declaring it futile. Time to bring out the big guns… Zelos stepped straight in the ninja's path. She went to go around him, but he moved with her, refusing to let her pass.

"Get out of my wa-" The ninja started, but was cut off when the Chosen raised his hand, brought his forefinger and his middle finger to rest at her brow.

"First Aid!" He exclaimed, though his exclamation was slightly hushed. From the point where his fingers rested, a warm, tingly sensation began to spread throughout her body. Despite herself, the ninja closed her eyes to soak in the warmth. As the wave of bliss reached her back, it felt as if a heavy load was lifted from her shoulders, the pain easing out of her many cuts and slashes and the wounds themselves closing over. When her hazel eyes opened once more, they were met once more with the deep cerulean ones of the Chosen.

"Thanks, I guess." She murmured grudgingly, for it was the last thing she intended to do, to be aided yet again by the idiot Chosen. He immediately plastered a look of exaggerated shock on his face.

"Oh, what an _honor_! The Great Sheena, thanking _me_!" Returning his expressions to normal, the redhead chuckled slightly, and to his surprise, so did the ninja.

"How does that work, anyways? The First Aid thing?" Though the subject was changed, it was not intentional, merely an innocent question from the ninja. Pausing a moment to assess whether or not she was in a joking mood, the Chosen decided to take a chance.

"The forces of nature itself recognize the Great Zelos and bow at his feet!" He declared in a booming voice. Sheena gave a short laugh of amusement, her retort almost instantaneous.

"Sheena thinks the forces of nature would rather nail their tongue to the table each morning at breakfast than bow down at the Great Zelos's feet, and that the Great Zelos needs to get his head out of the clouds for a while." Choosing to ignore the look of feigned hurt on the face of Zelos, she returned her gaze to the path ahead.

"In complete and total honesty I have no idea. I think it just speeds up the natural healing process, drawing the energy that would be needed for it to heal naturally from the caster of the spell." The ninja soaked in his words, though it took a moment to process what he said. That means, the worse her wounds are… '_The worse I'm hurt, the more energy it takes Zelos to heal me. Heh, I'd better not get it through the neck any time soon, he'd likely kill himself trying to fix that one...'_ But wait. Sheena realized what she'd said. Err, thought. '_Wait, no, of course not. In all truthfulness, I doubt he'd truly care if I died, and he'd sure as hell not kill himself to revive me.'_ Sheena looked to the redhead, who was currently gazing at the path ahead with interest. '_Y'know, he's not all that bad when he's not running his big mouth.'_ The ninja braced herself, expecting her unlucky streak to continue and for him to start blabbering right then and there, yet he remained silent. Slowly, she relaxed. Maybe her right-on-cue streak was coming to an end? Sheena sure hoped so.

The sun slowly fell in the sky, though the pair wandered well into the night. When ten 'o' clock came, it found the ninja striding wearily out into the open field, the redhead following close behind with his hands clasped behind his head and his elbows out to each side.

"Sheenaaaa…" Zelos whined, stopping in his tracks and yawning audibly, "It's, like, one in the morning. Can we please stop here? I don't know about ninjas, but us mortals have to sleep about fifteen hours a day."

"I don't know about idiot Chosens, but us humans only have to sleep _ten_ hours a night."

"Fifteen, ten... Whatever, same thing. If I have to walk any more, my legs might fall off." He whimpered, collapsing into a cross-legged position on the grass.

"That WOULD be amusing…" The ninja replied with feigned thoughtfulness, though she knew she'd end up stopping here anyways.

"You're such a banshee, Sheena…" Though his tone was still whining, Zelos slowly heaved himself to his feet again, plodding over to the ninja and gazing at her expectantly.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stop for the night anyways." Sheena admitted, and within moments the redhead was on his back on the turf once more.

"Sweet relaxation!" The Chosen sighed contentedly, closing his eyes in bliss. Chuckling in amusement, the raven-haired ninja paced back into the woods. Her hazel eyes searched her surroundings, though the dark made it hard to catch even the largest of objects. Firewood, firewood, firewood…. AHA! A glow of satisfaction lit in her eyes as she picked up three fair-sized branches from beneath an oval-leafed tree. Hauling her find back to camp, she piled the branches up and took a bottle of clear, syrupy liquid from her bag. She dropped a single drop on the logs, and the combustion was immediate. Within seconds, a fire had roared to life before her, causing Zelos to leap back, wide-eyed, to 'safety'. "What IS that stuff!" He questioned in amazement, watching the radiant fire with interest. The ninja smirked.

"I could tell you… But then I'd have to kill you." She taunted, turning her attention back toward the fire.

"My hunnies would have your head if you tried." He bantered, attempting at nonchalance.

"I'd like to see them try." Sheena was unable to contain her snort of amusement as she made her comeback.

"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups, my voluptuous hunny." He replied with a wink. The ninja chose to ignore her lengthy and irritating nickname, for to call him on it would be to rekindle an age-old battle between them, something neither of them had the energy for that night. Sheena drew closer to the fire, curling her knees in to her chest, resting her arms on her knees, and resting her head on her arms. For a moment, silence enveloped the pair. For a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire as it cast it's glow across the ninja's face. Then that moment was over. The ninja's soft voice broke the silence.

"Hey Zelos? How did you know? About Mizuho?" She questioned, recalling how he had diagnosed her sadness earlier with such accuracy. She hadn't told him about it, that she knew for a fact.

"I passed by it on my way through the woods. Not a pretty sight, if I do say so myself." Though his voice was as carefree as usual, the redhead's reply had been rushed, starting promptly after her own words had finished. Something seemed… strange. About Zelos's reply. But at the moment, Sheena was far too tired to put her finger on it. She scooted away from the blaze a bit, stretching out on the grass. The ninja gazed up at the stars… '_There are so many of them… I wonder if I can count them.'_ But by the time she got to fourty-two, she had lost track and given up.

"Hey Zelos?" Her soft voice broke the silence.

"Hmm?" Came his groggy reply. Obviously he was much closer to sleep than she was.

"…. Goodnight."

_(Hehe. There's your Zelos. Tell me, how did I get his character? Any spots I missed? Odds are, I did it on purpose, but I'm not perfect. Heh.) _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_(Here comes chapter fooooour! Muahaha. I know it's mostly been focusing on Sheena so far. Because of that, this chappie will partly be about Zelos, as will many of the chapters to come.)_

_It was a peaceful day. The violet-robed ninja strode down a familiar path through the forest, though how it was familiar or where she was headed was unknown. This didn't seem to bother her, however. She was happy, nothing could ruin that. But suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek met her ears. That was familiar as well... Eerily so. As was the crimson form that was shooting her way, fangs bared menacingly. She tried to scream, but her voice refused to work. She tried to run, but she found she was frozen to the spot. The dragon showed no signs of stopping... 'You killed us all,' it seemed to say, though it had no distinct voice. Its voice was that of all her comrades combined and given an echoic hue. The ninja watched in horror as it turned its head sideways and sunk its fangs into her neck. For a split second, a pain worse than death was felt..._

Sheena shot upright, covered in a cold sweat. She was breathing heavily, for moments ago she had been suffocating, dying at the fangs of one of the same drakes as had attacked her the previous day. After a while, however, her breathing slowed. The ninja soothed her racing heart, and soon the panic gave up its firm hold on her mind. For a moment, she wondered why she was sprawled out on the grass rather than at home in her bed… '_Oh yeah. All that's left of my bed is a handful of ashes.'_ She sighed, looking about her… And there was Zelos, not five feet away, cooking something that smelled deliciously like Omelet. Somehow, he hadn't noticed her moment of hysterics, thank Martel. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she brought herself closer in to the fire, away from the morning chill. At this movement, the redhead turned to look at her, immediately plastering on a cocky grin.

"Good mornin', my voluptuous hunny." He addressed the ninja, who was currently staring at the iron pan in his hand with distant eyes. Either she was as fond of shiny objects as he was, or she was deep in thought. Either way, Zelos wouldn't be deterred. He pulled the pan from over the fire, offering some sizzling eggs to the ninja. When the object she was gazing at moved, Sheena jumped slightly, as if startled back into reality. So she WAS deep in thought. '_Oops.'_ "Eggs?" The Chosen offered and, after a moment of examining them skeptically, she nodded. Delighted that she'd accepted his offer, Zelos hastily proffered a fork from his bag and offered that as well. In silence they ate… Well, in silence SHE ate, while Zelos let his gaze wander about his surroundings. Hard as it was to resist, he didn't stare at the attractive ninja… Her last slap was painful in his memory, however long ago that was. Actually, it was two years, nine months, seventeen days, three hours, and fifty-nine seconds. How he remembered that, Zelos didn't know. It just goes to show that there really WAS a brain under all that crimson hair.

Upon finishing her eggs, Sheena seemed in better spirits, so he ventured a question.

"Where are we going, anyways? You said yesterday that you had business to attend to…" He mused, gazing at the ninja expectantly. Her gaze shifted from the fire blazing before her to the cerulean eyes of the Chosen.

"I'm going to find those that demolished my village. I'm going to find who's responsible, and I'm going to kill them." She vowed, and never before had the redhead heard her so determined. It unnerved him slightly… '_She can never find out. Never.'_

As Sheena's voice faded into silence, she could have sworn she'd seen a shadow of doubt, of uncertainty pass over the face of the Chosen. But before she could be sure, that shadow had gone, replaced by his usual cheery façade. She pushed the thought away, sure it was just her eyes playing tricks on her… Like they had yesterday, forcing her to relive the horror of her village's fate as she lay near unconsciousness among the bodies of the fallen dragons.  
"On my way through, I heard from some travelers that Sybak isn't as peaceful as it used to be. Sounds suspicious to me." offered Zelos, who seemed to be restraining himself from his usual perversion. After a moment's thought, Sheena nodded.

"To Sybak, then." With that, she rose to her feet, dusting herself off and straightening her disheveled clothing. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to sleep on the ground. '_At least it's not muddy.'_ She thought, attempting to look on the bright side, but miserably failing. She undid her hair, letting it fall down her back a moment and combing through it briefly with her fingers before twisting it back up into a bun.

"Aqua Edge." The redhead put out the fire with one of his weaker water spells, and at last the duo was ready.

This time, Sheena made sure Conicere was tucked safely under her ribbon before setting off. It took a moment for Zelos to realize they were leaving, and when he did he jogged to catch up. And it was like this that they set off across the vast field to Sybak.

--------------

"Even BEFORE I was angel-ified, I had lightning-fast reflexes." Zelos boasted, having decided to quell his boredom by telling Sheena everything he liked about himself. Which, for Zelos, was everything. Well, _nearly_ everything, but we'll not go into that, now will we? It had been nearly an hour since the Chosen had started his blabbering, and there was no end in sight. Sheena had spent the majority of that hour taking the word 'ignoring' to new heights. Now, though, a slight smirk caressed her lips.

"Hey _lightning_." She started.

"Yes, my favoritest hunny?" He answered, turning his head to the side so the ninja could be seen behind him.

"Catch." Suddenly, an object soared through the air in the direction of the redhead. '_Trying to catch me off guard? Voluptuous AND sly. Sheena, you're just PERFECT. Time to shine.'_ He whipped out his hand to snag the object from mid-air. The speed of it would have impressed any girl… Even Sheena, though only mildly. It would have, had the object not been Conicere. What was one minute a boasting, swaggering redhead, was now a whimpering ball of… whimper. The card, as Sheena had expected, had sent a pretty hefty charge up the arm of the unsuspecting Chosen, and he'd stumbled backwards in surprise. Even moments later, on his butt on the ground, Zelos was STILL trying to figure out how his plan went wrong. But then his questioning gaze came to rest upon the card. '_That bloody card again.'_ Even the sight of it brought back the pain of his first shock, and Zelos whimpered slightly in remembrance. He looked up to Sheena, who had just recovered from a fit of hysterical laughing.

"What was that for?" He whined.  
"You wouldn't shut up," shrugged the ninja, and she stepped closer to once more retrieve her card.

"You could have _asked_ me to." More whining, this time accompanied by what sounded like a bit of a bruised ego.

"Are you saying that would have worked?" Questioned the ninja, an eyebrow raised in skepticism. At his silence, she took that as a 'no' and turned to continue on her way. After a couple of steps, she heard Zelos rise behind her, hastily following and soon falling into step beside her.

"Hey Sheena?" The ninja turned her head to gaze up at the redhead.

"Yeah?"

"Never do that again."

"If you stop with the 'Amazing Qualities of Zelos'. Most of which were bullshit, by the way."

"Come on, Sheena. You're hurting my _feelings_." Zelos fake-whined, drawing a short laugh from the ninja. "…Can I at least finish? I haven't even gotten to the part about how amazingly sexy I am."

"Don't push it." She warned, and that left the Chosen silent.

For a while, fragile silence came over the field. While the ninja's head was filled with the journey ahead, the redhead's thoughts were much less serious. He was currently plotting the many ways in which he could try to touch the ninja in ways he shouldn't. '_If I sneak up behind her, and-'_

"Zelos, don't even go there. Don't think I can't hear you coming up on me like that." The ninja foiled his plot from the get-go, and he heaved a sigh of disappointment. '_I'll never win, at this rate. Stupid ninja training... It gives you, like... a sixth, seventh, AND eighth sense.' _After the sigh was carried off on the breeze, silence enveloped them once more. And they walked. And walked. And walked. And walked. And, just for a change of pace, they walked some more. After what seemed like an eternity, the Chosen could stand the silence no more. He hurried to come up beside the violet-clad banshee.

"Hey Sheena? Wanna play a game?" He offered, a hint of hopefulness in his query. The ninja turned, regarding him skeptically. In all honesty, playing a 'game' with Zelos was the last thing she wanted to do. But, for once, she decided to humor him.

"Enlighten me, what game has your twisted mind come up with now?" She questioned, but the redhead shook his head hastily.

"No no, this isn't gonna be anything bad. It's easy. I ask a yes or no question, you answer it. Then you ask, and I answer. Simple enough?" He offered, turning a pair of hopeful eyes on Sheena and awaiting her decision. She went over all possible rule-bending he may try in her head, and could come up with nothing exceptionally horrible… So, at last, she gave in.

"Alright, I'll play. But nothing about my culture, for even with their death I will not betray the knowledge of my village's ways to anyone outside it's borders. Understand?" Zelos nodded, agreeing to her demand, a childlike look of excitement lighting up his face. He immediately shifted into a look of deep thoughtfulness, and the ninja dreaded what his gutter-bound mind was cooking up.

"Okay, I've got it. How sexy am I? I mean, come on. It should be illegal to be this sexy." A cockeyed grin was plastered on his face, having backed the ninja into a corner. "And you have to answer these questions TRUTHFULLY." She was trapped. Or so he thought.

"Sexy? Maybe, maybe not. People would pay more attention to that if you weren't so busy distracting them with your wild and abundant shows of idiocy." She stated unflinchingly, and it took a moment to comprehend what she'd said before the Chosen could reply.

"You didn't answer the question." He protested.

"You're not ugly, how's that?" The ninja offered, and that was as close as she intended to get to any true answer to his stupid question.

"In Sheena-speak, that means 'You're incredibly sexy, Zelos! Marry me!'"

"No. In Sheena-speak, that means 'You're not ugly.'" She corrected, which drew a sigh from the redhead.

"Fair enough. Your turn." The ninja thought a moment. What DID she want to ask him?

"Have you ever liked someone? Seriously? I don't mean your hunnies, Zelos." A pair of sapphire eyes widened in surprise at the question placed before him. '_Why does she want to know, anyways?'_ But fair is fair, and he still needed to answer.

"I have. I-… I think I do right now." She never asked a name, did she? No. So he didn't offer one.

The ninja pondered his answer, trying somewhat desperately to figure what the heck that last bit was supposed to mean. Was he just trying to rub it in her face that he'd found a hunny back in Meltokio? That was likely it. She managed to ignore that little beam of hope in the back of her mind that told her that the someone he liked was her. Wait, how could that be hope? She'd rather be wed to a sasquatch then to have Zelos like her. Before she could get too deep into thought, however, he jumped into his next question.

"For my next question… Will you show me your boobs?" SMACK! A handprint in red was marked on the Chosen's right cheek, and he staggered back in surprise.

"YOU PERVERT! ASK ME THAT AGAIN AND I'LL SLAP YOU!" Sheena fumed, letting her bangs fall over her face to hide the red creeping into her cheeks. Zelos rubbed the offended cheek as it began to regain feeling.

"I wish you'd say that _before_ you slapped me…" He whined, giving the ninja a fair bit of space.

"Don't look at me like that, Zelos Wilder. If you weren't expecting a slap with a question like that, you're an even bigger idiot then I thought." The Chosen kept his silence after that… for a minute or two.

"… I guess that's a no?" He ventured, though he wished he hadn't, for with a 'HMPH' the ninja hurried her pace and left Zelos behind. He didn't persist this time… To say anything to her at the moment would be signing his death wish. So, lamenting his mistake and cursing his tendency to ruin such perfect moments.

While she grew farther and farther ahead, she listened for the sound of his footfalls as he jogged up behind her… Yet no footfalls were heard. Her first impulse was to look back, to make sure he was still following, yet Sheena refused to give him that satisfaction, to know that she actually cared. She did, however, slow down to a more relaxed pace, the same as before Zelos had ruined the moment yet again. This silence lasted far longer than the others… Hell, it lasted longer than the others put together. But after an eternity, she heard that long-awaited foot-on-dirt rhythm of the Chosen coming up behind her. He came up beside her, and she turned to gaze at him expectantly, all of her previous anger having dissipated during the eternity of silence.

"I'm sorry." His voice was quiet, though Sheena had no trouble understanding his words. This is a first, a sincere apology for his perverted motives. But she didn't want to jump to conclusions….

"For what?" She asked, just to make sure.

"For all that's happened to you lately. For the destruction of Mizuho, for the attack from the Drakes…" Heh. So much for an apology for his perversion. But Sheena still accepted it as an honest apology.

"That wasn't your fault."

"I'm sorry anyways." He countered, and Sheena didn't particularly want to start the fight anew, so she nodded in acceptance. This was one of his not-half-bad moments… If only they came more often. '_Waaaaay more often.'_ "Hey, look! It's Sybak!" At Zelos's declaration, the ninja rose her gaze to the horizon, and sure enough, there was the faint outline of the city by the sea. She could almost hear the ocean, even that far away, calling to her, drawing her closer. So she went.

"Race you there!" She challenged, and dashed off through the grass. Zelos blinked a moment in surprise before taking off after her, though her head start put her way in the lead. And it was in this manner that they dashed toward their first destination, their first set of clues on Sheena's journey for revenge.

_(Okay, basically another fluff chapter. The next few chapters advance the story quite a bit, so I decided to give you a free fluffeh chapter to prepare. Muahahaha. Tell me any mistakes you found. Tell me your favorite part. Tell me ANYTHING, just review! Hehe.)_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Chapter five, and after two basically pointless chapters, here comes some plot development. –le gaspe- Hehe. Lots of Zelos point of view on this one, seeing as my story has lacked it up till now.)

"That wasn't fair! You got a head start!" Zelos complained, though it was only a half-hearted protest, for he had in truth quite liked the race. The ninja was still sitting on the ground, where she'd plopped the moment she had officially won. She looked up at the Chosen, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"So much for 'lightning-fast'." She commented, and Zelos gave a curt laugh, his focus being fixed on finding a way out of his newfound imperfection. '_Maybe if I claim that her voluptuous body was distracting me? No, that'd get me another slap. I can say I tripped, and my angel-fast reflexes helped me get back up before she noticed I'd fell... But even _I'm _not _that _stupid. Hmm…'_ But he was never able to finish that particular thought process, for just then Sheena rose once more, having given them both sufficient time to catch their breath.

"Come on, let's go." She suggested, and, though Zelos knew it was more of an order than a suggestion, and the Chosen HATED being ordered about, he complied. Together they strode into Sybak, though their moments of carefree banter were left at the gate, and both assumed a much more serious façade as they stepped into the 'University Town'. Something seemed… different. Sure, they stood upon the same dusty-brown cobblestones, they were surrounded by the familiar crimson-brick walls, and the air was thick and silent with the atmosphere of deep thought and learning... Still, that nagging feeling followed them as they passed through the main intersection of town and into the roads to the Academy.

Both looked about them suspiciously, half expecting some massive hairy monster or a man with a machete to leap out at them at any moment. But that, they both knew, would be stupid. Cliched. It had happened a grand total of seven times through their Journey of Reunion, as the group decided to name it that night by the fireside when Colette pointed out how their motives had strayed. How they'd started out trying to regenerate Sylvarant because it was what the ancestors had told them to do via legends and such, then they attempted to split the two worlds because it would save both worlds, and they ended up usurping the angel government of sorts, killing the most powerful being in existence, reuniting two worlds, reviving the goddess, recreating the Great Kharlan Tree, gaining three sets of wings-- not counting Kratos, of course-- and keeping Zelos from murdering Genis in his sleep. It amazed even Sheena, when she took the time to go over it in her head like that. So much accomplished, so much gained…

'_Stupid, Sheena! You can't let your mind wander when you may be within attacking distance of the massacrists at any moment.'_ The ninja blinked herself back into reality, glancing around at the intelligent-looking people nearby with a new outlook. '_It could be any one of them, couldn't it? The blue-haired man, buried in his book... The brunette, gazing at the sky... Though that shifty-looking man with blonde spiked hair and a suspicious front seems like a good candidate.'_ She silently grabbed hold of the redhead's pink and black sleeve, tugging slightly to get his attention and nodding her head toward the man in question.

"It's _him_... I can sense it, he's part of this somehow." She whispered, almost too soft for Zelos to catch. He gazed down at her quizzically for a moment. '_How could she sense something like that? If her ninja-senses are _that _fine-tuned, it's only a matter of time...'_ After that moment, however, he nodded in agreement, and they set off after the man. Making sure to keep a good distance between them and their suspect, the duo followed him all the way to the Imperial Research Academy.

"Just our luck," grumbled the Chosen, no longer bothering with silence as the man entered the Academy and hastily closed the door behind him. He leaned back against the wall, resting his head back against the cool red bricks and groaning in a mix of disappointment and exasperation. "We were _so close._"

"We still are." Sheena declared, her gaze searching about her for something quite unknown to the redhead. He lifted his head from its resting spot, an eyebrow raised at the ninja.

"Please, enlighten me. Unless you're carrying some secret ninja walk-through-walls tool under that revealing robe of yours, I think it's quite impossible." Zelos stated, suppressing a smirk at his comment, for he knew the response she'd give before it came. On cue, Sheena snorted indignantly, turning the other way to obstruct whatever view he had and continuing her search. At last, a faint smirk of her own appeared.

"Follow me. If you _can_." With that she turned, took a flying leap, and wrapped her fingers firmly over the top of the wall. Swinging her legs effortlessly up to grab hold of the ledge as well, she pulled herself up onto the narrow wall. Meanwhile, the redhead watched on, wide-eyed. '_She expects me to do _that_?' _He wondered incredulously as she silently ran along the narrow ledge that made up the top layer of bricks and followed it 'till it came to the side of the Academy. With that, she turned to Zelos with a look that clearly said 'You coming?'. He nodded, refusing to be showed up by a female, especially this _particular_ female. Though the exact method with which he intended to reach her was the problem. After a moment of thought, he decided upon the least painful approach. Hopping onto one of the square fence-posts that lined the path into the building, he used that as a stepping-stone to leap atop the wall as well. Though the Chosen did it with much less grace than his predecessor, he as well rushed along the thin path, only losing his balance once and managing to right himself shortly after. By the time Zelos had arrived, however, Sheena had already climbed about ten feet up the seemingly smooth wall and was in the process of shimmying a vent from its socket. Though she worked deftly and carefully, the ninja was making more noise than the Chosen knew they could afford. His gaze darted worriedly about them, yet nobody had noticed. He felt no relief, however; no, it was a miracle they hadn't been caught already, and it'd be another if they made it in without notice. As long as the street stayed empty…

"Psst! Tethe'alla to Zelos!" Came an impatient hiss from above. The redhead turned his gaze up to the raven-haired source, yet she was no longer there. He blinked in surprise. Where _was_ she? His question was answered when a head poked out of the vent hole, a hand waving pointedly to gesture him in. Nodding, the Chosen leaped, fingers grasping for the bottom edge of the vent… Yet he barely suppressed a yelp of surprise as he found himself falling, back toward the cobblestones far below. Zelos closed his cerulean eyes, waiting for the moment when redhead met pavement... Yet he hadn't fallen more than a moment before a hand darted from the hole, grabbing his outstretched hand firmly 'round the wrist and heaving with all it's might. '_Sheena!'_ He thought with relief as he finally made his entrance into the dark and dusty tunnel.

The ninja hastily replaced the vent, only to find herself in nearly complete darkness with the idiot Chosen. He didn't seem in the mood to try anything, however… Neither would she be, if she had nearly splattered herself across the rock-hard ground below. Of course, she was never one to try anything anyways. That was Zelos's job, quite unfortunately. Wordlessly, she got onto her hands and knees and began her silent crawl down the tunnel. She could hear the faint whoosh of the Chosen crawling behind her, the soft sigh of his exhale… And a low, sinister rumbling. Eyes widening in surprise and curiosity, the ninja paused, trying to decide where it came from. '_Up ahead, not far.'_ After two right turns, thin shafts of light illuminated the passageway up ahead. Silently and meticulously the raven-haired femme made her way forward, pressing herself to the floor of the vent and peering through it's slats. Three men and a woman were leaned over a boiling substance… And the rumbling was still ahead.

Silent as a snake, she slunk onward once more, though Sheena wished she could have taken in the light a few moments longer before returning to darkness. A hesitation behind her told her that Zelos felt the same way, but the hesitation was not lengthy, and soon she heard the faint whoosh and soft sigh once more. More corners. Left, right, left, right... '_It'll be impossible to find our way back out that way.'_ She decided, after losing track of where they'd come. Was the fifth turn left, or right? Was the eighth turn right? Or was that the one they had to slide downwards? Yet Sheena led on, using the rumbling as her guide. It was growing progressively louder and louder… Until at last another shaft of light was seen before her.

Using the same technique, she peered through this vent as well, to come face to face with the blonde man. Sheena nearly gasped in surprise, before she realized that the man was too far below to see her at this angle. She was gazing down at him and another man, who was facing the other way and had similar spiked locks, this time of the deepest crimson. The sinister rumbling was the crimson-haired man's voice! She gestured Zelos to crawl forward as well, pressing as close to the front of the tunnel as possible as she felt his body slip by until he too could see the men. The ninja shifted uncomfortably, unnerved at being so close to the Chosen, yet for once he didn't seem to notice. The redhead's gaze was fixated on the men, and soon so was Sheena's.

"So it's done?" The blonde questioned.

"Indeed, it is done." The crimson-head confirmed with a nod of his head. A smirk of satisfaction crossed the blonde's snakelike features.

"With Mizuho out of the way, there's nothing to stand in his way." He declared, the smirk ever-present.

"Yeah, and we never could have done it without our 'source'." The crimson-head couldn't help but join in the celebratory banter. He was soon smirking as well. The two were silent for a moment, basking in the glory. Zelos, however, had grown tense.

"Hey Tor, did you ever find out what happened to that one who survived?" The blonde was the first to break the silence, and his query was a bit more serious than their previous words.

"They haven't found her yet." Tor, the crimson-head, admitted.

"Dang… Is it _that_ hard to find one ninja?"

"I don't know, 'snot my job anyways." With that, the pair paused, leaning back in their chairs.

"Besides, Kage will find her soon enough. He found Mizuho, didn't he?" The blonde pointed out, and Tor was quick to contradict.

"It was only luck that got him Mizuho to begin with. His 'source' told him exactly where it was, it was pure luck that found him the source to begin with." Tor argued, drawing a hasty look about him from the blonde.

"Shhhh! Don't speak such doubts. He has ears everywhere, and you know what he does to those who speak ill of him, don't you?" The blonde man hissed, and Tor shuddered slightly, knowing all to well of the punishments inflicted by their cruel leader. "Look, I gotta scram. They already suspect me back in Meltokio, and if I'm gone too long they'll have me under lock and key." He made a move to the door, but Tor spoke up before he could leave.

"I wish to speak with Kage myself. Where is he?"

"On his way to Altamira. He was sticking around the wreckage a while in case the little ninja girl returned, but she never did, so he's off to the Seaside Paradise to celebrate his victory. Later, Tor." With this he nodded a goodbye and slipped from the room. It wasn't long before Tor followed as well, and Zelos guessed they had merely rented the room for a short while. Now that the occupants of the room were gone, Zelos felt he could speak, though softly, without raising alarm.

"Sheena? We've heard what we came to hear, let's go." He started to scoot back away from the ninja, yet she did not follow. Moments passed, and she stayed silently where she lay. '_I wonder if the ole 'I'm sorry, I didn't know that was your butt!' trick will work...' _He thought, a sly grin on his face. But then the grin disappeared. She _still_ hadn't moved. The redhead crawled up beside her once more, placing a hand on her shoulder in case she was still in thought. His eyes widened, however, to find that the ninja was shaking. He knew not whether it was rage or sorrow that caused it, and he hesitated, unsure of how to deal with that particular situation. After a moment, he decided to try to speak with her once more. "Sheena?"

"Someone _told_ them." She spat, and Zelos could tell from the edge on her voice that she was fighting back tears. "Someone _told_ them, betrayed my entire village. I swear, if I ever find out who it was, I'll _kill_ them!" She swore this through gritted teeth, still attempting not to cry. Zelos tensed at the fierceness in her words, though in truth it was the words themselves that affected him most. Never before had he seen her so determined... He felt a lump rise in his throat, instantly pitying the poor soul who would feel such a wrath.

"We hafta go. Much longer up here and we'll choke on all the dust." He declared, going to turn around but banging his head on the ceiling of the tunnel. A fairly loud curse word escaped his mouth before he clamped his hand over it, recalling once more the need for silence and fearing their cover had been blown. Both were as silent as the grave, listening and fearing they had been heard… Yet, another miracle, they had raised no alarm. Zelos heaved a sigh of relief, and decided it was safe to talk again. "We can't go out the way we came, and forward is a dead end. The only way is down…"

His whisper voiced the fear that Sheena had harbored the whole way through the tunnels. She was prepared, however, and with no prompting from the redhead she slowly eased the vent out of it's socket, drawing it inward and placing it softly onto the tunnel before her. Slowly she eased herself from the hole, coming to rest silently on top of the chair that was occupied by Tor mere minutes before. Zelos soon followed, and, though both were extremely relieved to be out in the air once more, the pair knew they were far from safe. Easing the door open, the ninja peered out into the hallway… Empty. She crept out into the hall, the redhead in pursuit. The moment she stepped toward the closest exit, however, a door flew open behind her. There stood Tor, as well as three similar men. The crimson-head's eyes went wide. He looked to the two, then the door they had just exited.  
"They heard _everything_!" He roared, pointing a finger toward the pair. "Get them!" The three men, who were smaller than Tor and obviously his lackeys, immediately raced toward Zelos and Sheena. Zelos, however, had other ideas.

"RUN!" He yelped, and Sheena didn't need to be told twice. She flew down the hallways, running blindly at top speed, her only thought being to escape the men. Through one door and the next she raced, Zelos hot on her heels. '_Feet, don't fail me now!'_ On and on they ran, for what seemed like an eternity… Until their fears came true once more. "Dead end?" The Chosen cursed under his breath as the pair turned to face their attackers. The three men now had smirks on their faces, and had slowed to a walk now that they knew the ones they were chasing were trapped.

"Heeere, girly girly. We don't bite." One of them taunted.

"Much." Another added, sending the remaining two into a fit of sniggering. Zelos looked to Sheena, who was fumbling with something under her ribbon. More taunting from the men brought his gaze to their foes once more.

Sheena, however, was not looking at them at all. She was deep in concentration, her lips moving silently as she muttered a spell her grandfather had taught her before sending her to Sylvarant. She grabbed hold of a small ball from her supplies, which glowed faintly in response to the words she was forming. Would she make it? The men were closing in fast.

"Hey! Boys, she's tryin' something!" One of them raised the alarm, and the other three took up a jog toward the pair. But Sheena was ready. She reached out and grabbed hold of Zelos's hand, holding it tightly in her own so the spell would work for him as well. The ball was thrown to the floor before them, and the pair disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_(It's a bit short, I think. The next one will probably be better. Any questions? Comments? What do YOU think is going to happen? Review!)_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Come ON people! Review! Please? I only got two reviews on the last chapter, and if you don't review I can't fix any mistakes you notice. I feel so rejected. –sniffle- P)

For a split second, there was nothing. For a split second, the redheaded Chosen knew nothing but the warm hand that grasped his. The hand that, as long as he held onto it, would take him to safety. For a minute he wondered what would happen if he let go… '_Odds are, it'd be the last thing I do.' _As it was, he could see only the near-black smoke that enveloped them… And suddenly, it cleared. The smoke all but vanished, revealing a vast ocean to one side of them and a vast continent to the other. By the mountains close by, he could only come to assume this was the continent of Altamira. He turned to look at the ninja, fully aware that their hands remained clasped, to find her gazing out across the continent as well. Zelos started to wonder if she had left her hand in his on purpose... But that thought was squashed the moment she turned to him once more. Sheena met his gaze, then looked down at their interlocked hands. She leaped back, almost as if the Chosen's touch had burned her, quickly retracting her hand. '_So much for _that _little bit of hope.'_ He thought to himself.

Though neither of them spoke a word, the pair set out to travel around the base of the mountains and farther into the heart of the continent. By Zelos's calculations, which were surprisingly correct most of the time, it takes two days as the bird flies to reach the city of Altamira. That means, traveling around the base of these mountains would add another day to two days. They're looking at a four-day walk. '_Greeeeat.'_ He didn't mention it, though… The ninja didn't seem too keen on breaking the silence. After walking quite a while, however, the easily bored side of Zelos kicked in, and he could keep his silence no longer.

"You know you liked it." He teased, attempting to lighten the mood. He only succeeded in raising a fierce glare from the raven-haired ninja, a murderous look fixed upon his face. He laughed nervously, averting his gaze. '_That was just _brilliant_, Zelos. You deserve an _award _for _that _one.' _ With a sigh, Zelos resigned himself to the silence. By then, Sheena had averted her gaze, resting it on the ground at her feet. Soon his own gaze had wandered, looking out across the grasses before them. He had thought up a way to amuse himself… While some people count sheep to pass the time, he counts hunnies. '_One hunny, two hunnies, three hunnies– that one's especially voluptuous—four hunnies, five hunnies-… Hell, why not skip to a hundred and be done with it?' _ Sure enough, even counting his many hunnies didn't occupy Zelos for long.

"Hey Sheena-" He started, but was cut off mid sentence. The ninja whirled on him, her eyes raging.

"Don't even talk to me. You obviously have nothing better to do than to mock my every move, so just shut up for once!" She snapped, practically yelling her words in his face. Zelos couldn't hide it; the hurt and shock was evident on his face. He opened his mouth to respond, to tell her he was sorry, to tell her he didn't mean to make her mad, but he closed his mouth before any of it could be voiced. No, if Sheena was mad enough to yell at him like that, she sure as hell wasn't going to listen to his apologies. And she wasn't the only one mad at the redhead right then… He was extremely mad at himself. '_How come I always do that? I always say the wrong things, always make things worse. Stupid, stupid Zelos! Why do I have to be so pretty, yet so completely and totally stupid? It's like a curse...'_ And so on.

This time, Zelos accepted the silence. At the moment, he was too deep in thought to speak anyways. He was busy contemplating his idiocy, his tendency to 'eff things up' as he put it, and which of his hunnies was the prettiest. That's why it came as such a surprise when he heard a piercing scream echo through the steadily thickening trees at the base of the mountain. With a start, he's brought back to reality, looking quickly about to locate Sheena with a hand on the hilt of his sword. The ninja was nowhere to be seen. '_I must have fallen behind!'_ Cursing himself even more, Zelos took off down the path. The Chosen ran faster than even he knew possible, a blur of pink, black, and crimson amongst the trees. '_Where is she?'_ Half of him thought to turn around, that he'd gone too far and Sheena had strayed from the path farther back, yet the other half kept him fixed to the trail. Thank Martel for that half, else he never would have found her. Faster yet, he raced blindly down the path. Growing frantic, the redhead reached inside himself, searching for the familiar chill and sickening emptiness that accompanied the revealing of his fiery orange wings. Yet before he was forced to reveal them, the Chosen came to a clearing... And in that clearing, a man.

This man was buff, to say the least. He reminded Zelos of Botta in appearance, yet much more muscular and definitely less friendly. The man had a smirk on his face, hinting at an ego even larger than the Chosen himself's. A name sprang unbidden to Zelos's lips.

"Kage!" the Chosen spat. As if to confirm his accusation, the man's smirk widened… If that's even possible.

"Your memory is good, surprisingly so." He spoke, the smug look on his face giving it a mocking tone.

"You should teach your fools to speak less freely of you. Even _I _could easily find out your most intricate plots, the way _they_ brag about it. They didn't even bother to make sure they were alone." Zelos shot, and the man's smirk faltered, though only for a moment. It peeved the redhead, how this man seemed to have an 'I know your deepest secret.' attitude about him, even though he likely didn't know a thing. Zelos forced his gaze from the massive man's face to search for Sheena… He didn't have to look far, however, for the ninja was draped limply over Kage's shoulder, the side of her violet robe stained nearly black with blood.

"You-… You bastard!" He roared, the hand at his sword tensing around it's well-worn handle. Kage's eyebrows raised in surprise, and he chuckled.

"You intend to fight me? _This_'ll be amusing." Dropping Sheena rather carelessly to the grass-- which drew a wince from Zelos-- Kage stepped farther into the clearing, drawing from his belt what seemed like a blade-edged boomerang. With a flourish of his wrist, however, it had extended into a long staff-like weapon, a blade at each end. '_I have to admit, that _is _a pretty cool stick thingy.'_ The redhead unsheathed his sword, Excalibur, and within an instant he flung himself sword first at the larger man, who barely managed to block it with the center of his staff. With amazing speed, Kage swung one end at Zelos, the blade narrowly missing his neck even WITH the redhead's 'angel-fast reflexes'. And so the battle went on. It seemed like forever to the Chosen, for the combatants appeared evenly matched. After that forever, however, Zelos began to tire. Though his wounds were few, the constant battle had sucked the strength from both he and his foe. Yet they battled on… And on, and on. If he'd looked to the sun, Zelos would have noticed that two hours had gone by since the fight had begun. Of course, that aversion of his attention, however short, would likely cost him his life.

At long last, Kage leaped back, falling to a knee for a moment, chest heaving in exhaustion. Zelos remained on his feet, though barely, forcing himself to keep standing in case his opponent would try something while the redhead was off-guard. Cerulean eyes met umber ones, and the two newfound enemies locked into a different sort of battle, one of the mind. Several minutes passed, and the staredown continued… Untill finally, Kage averted his gaze, rising and leaping off to disappear among the trees. '_I know that's not the last we've seen of him...'_ Zelos thought, his gaze upon the trees in which Kage had fled. A soft groan of discomfort and pain brought his gaze back to Sheena, who was still laying where the brute had dropped her. The grass beneath her was stained a light shade of red where the blood had soaked through her robe. Jogging over to her side, Zelos reached for the familiar tingling sensation of magic, but it did not come. '_Damn it... I must be too drained from the fight.' _So the Chosen was faced with a problem. Here was Sheena, bleeding profusely from her side, and he was unable to use his healing arts. The little voice in the back of his mind was celebrating, for it had already figured out what Zelos had to do. But the less perverted side of him, which was in control at the moment, was frantically attempting to figure another way to help her. He didn't want to screw up, not again. Not when she was already ticked at him. '_No, I can't. I mean, what if she wakes up? I'll never be able to explain my way out of this... Even if I DO tell her it was just to bandage her wound.'_ But the redhead could find no way out of it… So slowly, his fingers made their way to the pink ribbon at her waist.

_(Mwahahahaha... No, this isn't rape. XD I let a friend read this and she was like "OMG ZELOS IS A RAPIST!" lol. Don't get any ideas until you read the next chapter. Heh. Read. Review. If you have any idea what's going to happen next, message me with your guesses. And yes, I realize this chapter is excruciatingly short, but... eh. The next one will be better, I swear.)_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_(Wow… Chapter 7 already. –le gaspe- I usually don't make it past Chapter 3. XD Anyways... Thanks for your reviews, everybodeh. I luff you all.)_

Slowly, two hazel eyes opened to their surroundings. Slowly, the world came into focus once more. And slowly, Sheena realized where she was. '_I'm still in the forest... I probably haven't gone far, though I know I'm not where I was when that ass overpowered me.'_ She then noticed a soft green blanket that was draped over her form. '_This blanket... is Zelos's?'_ She lifted herself up to her elbows, fully intending to rise to her feet, but she only got upright enough for the blanket to slide down to her waist before pain stabbed at her side and with a gasp she collapsed once more.

The ninja tilted her head upward, noticing that she was lying at the base of a tree. Refusing to remain lying down, she struggled upright once more, her hands pushing her back until her back was pressed against the tree.'_My wound...'_ She remembered that pain from just before she blacked out. He had attacked her from behind, and sent his blade deep into her side before she had even whirled to face him. That was when she screamed... The scream that, Sheena guessed, had brought Zelos to her aid. She had fought a minute or two after that initial wound, but it was a useless battle; Kage was merely toying with her, at that point. '_Kage...'_ Yes, that man had been Kage. Somehow, she knew it. He was everything she'd expected him to be... Though twice as powerful. Her hand made it's way to her side, but instead of feeling the familiar hot dampness of a blood-soaked robe, she felt the soft, dry feeling of expensive bandage. Glancing down, her eyes widened in surprise. Not only had she been asleep under Zelos's blanket, not only had her wounds been dressed in Zelos's expensive bandaging, but the bandage and her undergarments were all she had on!

Sheena quickly snatched the blankets and pulled them up over her chest, and a faint red hue washed over her cheeks. Sure, nothing truly inappropriate was revealed, but _still…_The ninja looked over to Zelos, who was sleeping against a tree nearby. Her face grew even redder. She looked around for her stuff, which to her relief was nearby. Hastily grabbing her spare robe, she struggled into it as best she could… But when she sat fully upright to tie her pink ribbon 'round her middle, a strange and painful dizziness came over her. Leaning back against the tree and closing her eyes, the ninja took a few deep and steady breaths. Though the cause of the headaches was unknown to _her_, it was merely the result of a mild bump on the head from when Kage had dropped her to face his newest opponent. To Sheena, it felt as if her head was slowly being squeezed between two boulders. When it faded and her last deep breath was drawn, she opened her eyes once more.

By now, Zelos had awoken. The first thing he had done upon awakening was look to the ninja, hoping she was doing better than she had the previous day. When he had fallen asleep that night, he wasn't even sure the ninja was going to survive... And the death of Sheena, as much as he hated to admit it, would hurt him more than even his own. When he looked to her that morning, however, a look of extreme and total relief had come over his face... She was alive, awake, and even upright. Though that had faded to concern a moment later, for she was leaning against the tree, eyes closed, and taking deep breaths as if in quite a lot of pain.

When Sheena looked to the redhead, it was that concerned look she caught before it faded to a joyous grin.

"Mornin', my voluptuous hunny." He teased, though the ninja didn't bother with the glare she usually offered when addressed with that particular nickname. She instead remained silent and continued to meet his gaze. Eventually, his teasing look turned to one of curiosity, as if wondering what was on her mind.

"Thanks…" She muttered, still slightly uncomfortable at having awoken in her underclothes. Zelos offered a half-smile in response, which was a good enough answer for the summoner. She turned her gaze up to the sun, suddenly wondering what time it was. "How long was I-…?"

"Nearly a day. With that wound on your side, it could have been much worse… Much, much worse." He looked away for a moment, his eyes nearly betraying how close to death she had been. The redhead didn't want to worry her, or himself for that matter. Though his gaze was drawn back to the fully-robed Sheena as she attempted once more to rise. '_Leave it to Sheena to be this stubborn.'_ Though as he saw how hard she struggled to get even somewhat upright, he couldn't just stay silent and watch. "Don't get up yet! You're too hurt. You have to rest a while!" he objected.

Though the ninja heard his protest, and the ones to follow, she ignored them. A hand on the tree for balance, she slowly and shakily rose to her feet. The pain in her side was agony, yet she braced against it, blocking as much of it out as she could. Her jaw was set in determination; Sheena intended to stand, or pass out trying. The latter of which seemed fully possible, right about then. She heard Zelos rise to his feet nearby, just in case she tried to do just that... But still she rose, inch by inch. At last, the ninja was vertical, though the majority of her weight was depending on the tree for stability. At that point, she looked up to Zelos once more. His face was once more covered with a look of concern.

"Zelos, I'm okay." She attempted to reassure him, offering the closest she'd come to a true smile in a long time. He relaxed slightly, though he didn't sit back down. "I'm fine. See?" To prove further that she was okay, she slowly pushed her weight from the tree and onto her own two feet. One step, then two, though her jaw was clenched in pain the whole time. After the second step, her steps were a bit less careful... And thus was the demise of her short-lived victory. On the third step, she took a slightly bigger step. As you probably know, the human body is connected all over. One muscle connects to another, which connects to another, which connects to another still. To Sheena, she'd merely increased her step a few inches, but that increased the tension in her hip muscles, and in turn her stomach muscles, and the muscles on her side. In a final stab of pain, far worse than the others, the ninja found herself falling once more. She closed her eyes, and braced herself, expecting to hit the ground hard and painfully, but she did not. Instead, she felt a pair of strong arms catch her, ease her far more gently to the ground. Just as they had when the drakes had attacked.

"See, I _told_ you you weren't okay." Zelos complained. Sheena gazed up at the Chosen, wondering honestly why he cared so much. '_He probably does it so other hunnies like him better.'_ The ninja scoffed, though then the question became, what would hunnies be doing out in the middle of the forest? 'It's ZELOS. _He'll find some somehow.' _

"Okay or not, I have to go. The longer I sit here, the farther ahead they get. Let me up." Her gaze was fierce, though his, through some miracle, was fiercer.

"No, you-"

"Let me up, Zelos." Her tone matched with her fierce gaze made her point clear. '_That's not a suggestion. It's an order.'_ The Chosen sighed, knowing that nothing short of the destruction of Tethe'alla would convince her otherwise.

"Fine. If you want to leave now, we can leave. But you're not walking." He warned, and the ninja knew at once what he meant. So she had to weigh the options placed before her. Sit there and rot while Kage and his goons got away, or ride on Zelos's back until she healed. The ninja cringed inwardly; neither one was too appealing. But at last, to both of their great surprise, she chose the latter.

"Fine. Let's go." She looked around her a moment, locating the nearest tree and half dragging, half pulling herself over to its trunk. Once more she rose with the tree's aid, though this time was much less shaky. Once fully upright, she turned so her back was pressed to the bark. "I'm ready."

The redhead nodded, stepping the couple of steps to where Sheena stood. He turned his back to the ninja and crouched down. She eyed the back of his head warily a moment, wondering if this was the right choice, before slowly easing her weight onto his back. Once she was situated, he stood once more, taking Sheena with him. And they were off.

At first, the summoner was somewhat uncomfortable; she had never before ridden on another's back like this, for even as a child she preferred her own two feet. Besides that, being pressed so close to the redhead wasn't something she'd had on today's agenda. Yet, after a while, she managed to relax. Both she and Zelos felt this, and a soft smile flickered across his lips.

"Hey Sheena?" He started.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." His voice was soft, and the ninja cocked her head slightly in confusion.

"For what?" She questioned, attempting to figure out what she had done to deserve thanking.

"For trusting me." After a moment of wide-eyed surprise, the ninja smiled for the second time that day. There was no more spoken the rest of the day; both ninja and Chosen were pondering the events of that afternoon. Yet if any passersby or travelers saw them as the sun fell past the horizon and night enfolded the land, they'd see a redheaded man in pink and black with a ninja on his back, her head resting on his shoulder as she slept soundly for the first time since the journey had begun.

_(Awwwww... –clings to fluffy ending- Hehehe. Revieeew. Mooore. C'moooon. Hehe. )_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_(Thank you, those of you who review loyally. It makes me feel special. P Another fluff chapter, mainly to get ready for the lots of action in a couple chapters from now. Heh.)_

_It was dark... Too dark. Too dark, even for the darkest of nights. It was as if the world itself had disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Nothing except her. She looked all around her, yet not even a vague outline told her of any objects nearby. She was alone... Utterly alone. She tried to cry out, yet it made no sound. She tried to move, but she was frozen to the spot. Then the voices came, unearthly and echoic. "You killed us, Sheena... You killed us all..." Then she felt a drip land on her hand. A teardrop. Then another on her arm, and on her other hand. Soon the tears were falling steadily, as if even the angels themselves were weeping. A single teardrop, icy cold in contrast to it's hundred warm kin, slid down her neck, and she gasped in surprise._

The ninja's twin hazel eyes snapped open, the voices from her dream still haunting her in awareness. Her whole body-- or at least the portion that wasn't pressed up against the Chosen-- felt damp, some areas as much as to be called 'wet'... It was raining. So the teardrops from her dream were merely raindrops? For some strange reason, Sheena felt a small relief at that realization, though how rain was any better was a mystery. She stole a glance up at the sky, her mood deflated even worse by the ominous dark clouds far above. She lifted her head from his back a moment to take in her surroundings, and noticed they had passed out of the forest as she slept. At her movement, Zelos turned to look at her, offering as bright a smile as he could muster while slogging through such weather.

"Mornin', my volu-"

"Save it. I got the point the first six times." She cut him off before he could make it even halfway through his greeting, though her own words had a slightly teasing tone.

"But _why_? What if I _want_ to say it again?" Whined the redhead, but at this point he was just whining to be difficult. Sheena knew he needed no answer, so she didn't offer one. Especially considering the rainwater had found it's way down to her bandaged side and was currently proceeding to soak it. The cold didn't feel any too pleasant on her wound… '_Wow, _that's _an understatement.'_ She thought to herself, though the ninja kept her complaints inside.

"We can stop, y'know. We don't have to keep going in this weather." She offered, but he merely shook his head, sending the water from his soaked red hair in all directions.

"We have to keep going. If we stop now, he'll be gone before we get to Altamira!" Zelos argued, and Sheena left it at that. '_Why does _he _care so much that we make it? Zelos is usually the one complaining to stop every five minutes, and now he's gone all night and most of the day without rest. What went on between him and Kage while I was out?'_ She wondered, though not for long, for no answers could be reached without actually asking the Chosen, which she by no means intended to do. Especially not in this weather, when he probably had plenty enough on his mind without dealing with any questions.

As the minutes passed by, the rain grew harder and harder. Soon, the ninja could no longer stand it beating upon her face. She lowered her head to where it had laid while she was sleeping, pressing it to the redhead's back for much-needed warmth. By now, her side was searing with pain, the water having soaked through the bandage and rendered it utterly useless, and the icy frigid chill of the raindrops was soaking through right onto the open wound. She didn't say anything though. Sheena never _was_ one to complain. She just braced herself against it and prepared for the longest day of her life. '_At least I'm not alone in it, though...'_ She didn't know when Zelos had shifted from an annoying nobody to an accepted if not appreciated friend, but somehow he had. Still, there were others she'd much rather get stuck with than him. '_I think...'_

It wasn't long before the rainwater seeped down the Chosen's back, causing him to tense slightly in discomfort and taking away Sheena's much-needed source of warmth. She lifted her head once more, no longer bothering to attempt to shelter it. It wasn't raining anymore… it was _storming_. Still Zelos pushed on, however, his head turned slightly to brace against the wind and rain. '_If it's this bad for me, it's probably twice this bad for him.'_ She rationalized, and she knew if they stayed out any longer they'd be worse off than they started.

"Zelos, into the trees!" She cried, her voice barely audible over the pounding rain and torrential wind. Immediately the redhead averted his course and instead fought his way to the coppice of trees to their right. The intensity of the rain increased yet again, if that was even possible, and so did the pain in the summoner's side. It was all she could do not to gasp in pain, but she refused. The water fell harder and harder and harder and… it stopped. She opened her eyes, which were closed against the downpour, to notice with relief that they were beneath the trees at last. Zelos crouched down to allow Sheena off. '_He doesn't know what the rain did to my bandage and wound...'_ The ninja realized, and she had no intention of telling him. Unclamping her knees from his sides, she tentatively lowered her feet to the ground. '_Hey, this isn't so bad!'_ She realized in relief as her feet rested upon the dry dirt and the pain had not intensified. Releasing her arms from their loose hold 'round his neck, she pushed her weight onto her own too feet… Only to release that gasp she'd tried to hold in and collapse in a heap.

In an instant, Zelos was by her side, but she pulled her arm away from his aid with a 'hmph'. Sure, he was only trying to help, but being unable to do much of anything for herself was driving Sheena insane. Well, not _insane_, but it was really starting to bug her. So, without aid, she pulled herself to the nearest tree, leaning her back up against it and sighing in the relaxation that hours in the rain had prevented.

The redhead had taken no offense to her refusal of his aid. He had already figured she was going to refuse it sometime or another, for it very un-Sheena-like to depend on others' help. Lowering himself to the dirt beside her, he as well leaned against the tree, somewhat surprised that she allowed him so close. Close by her standards, at least. '_Hey,_' he thought brightly, '_I guess she doesn't hate me anymore!'_

Meanwhile, the ninja's body and mind waged war. Her body was telling her she was cold, she was hurt, she needed to shiver for the extra heat to stay warm. Her mind was saying she refused to shiver, she had too much dignity left to shiver. Needless to say, her body won. Though not for long. Attempting to imagine the desert to keep warm, Efreet's raging inferno, she realized the completely obvious solution. A fire. Reaching above her, she broke off a few of the lower branches of the tree, though it took a bit of effort to do so, and broke them into fire-fodder-sized pieces. Piling them up down past her feet, she crawled to the edge and pulled out that same bottle. A single drip is tipped from it's Mizuho-glass edge, landing upon the branches. The ninja shielded her eyes from the flame… Yet no flame came. The branches were too wet. Zelos offered her some matches from his supplies. She eyed them a moment, having never been forced to use them before, but she took them anyways. She struck a match, dropped it to the logs, and once more waited for a fire… Yet none came. So she tried again. And again. An entire matchbook later, the ninja had grown frustrated. Very frustrated.

"EFREET!" She roared, with a ferocity that took even Zelos by surprise. Immediately the fire burst into flames, though the Chosen knew the Summon Spirit of Fire would not be pleased at his somewhat disrespectful summoning. Sheena, however, seemed either unaware or uncaring of that fact, and not particularly keen on learning. Instead, the redhead scooted close to the fire, warming his hands with it's radiant heat. Sheena as well had grown warmer… Zelos noticed that her shivering had stopped. The shivering she was trying so hard to hide.

"Hey Sheena? Why is it so bad to have emotions? To be hurt, to be cold? Even when your village was destroyed, you refused to show your sadness. The only emotion you ever seem to have is anger, and over three fourths of the time that anger is directed at me." He questioned, yet the ninja's gaze remained fixed on the fire. He sighed slightly, knowing she probably wouldn't answer such a question… But a moment later, she did.

"I am not weak. Sadness, pain, discomfort… Those are all weaknesses. Fear as well, and impatience, and love, and… lots of other things. In Mizuho, we are, or _were_, trained not to show weakness of any sort. Trained to be emotionless, even dispensable, willing to give up our life as if it didn't matter, if need be. Anger, hatred… They say those are the only good emotions. They don't make you weak, they make you strong. Anger and hatred fuel the fire inside you, causing you to fight better, think harder, and never give up." She replied softly, her tone almost droning, as if she didn't truly believe what she was saying. As if she was just relaying what she'd been taught. Yet she didn't intend to give any more, so Zelos didn't ask. For a while, he didn't even respond. But, as always when it comes to the Chosen, he did respond eventually.

"No… True weakness is to hide it all. To hide your emotions, your pain, your cold… For fear that, if you reveal them, others will think less of you." He replied, his voice thoughtful, as if he was figuring out how to word it as he spoke. Sheena turned to look at the redhead, somewhat surprised at his words. What surprised her more, however, was that deep down, she knew it was true. Though it contradicted everything she'd been trained and taught to believe, it was true. She couldn't admit it, not now. '_If I do, I'm betraying my people even more.'_ She couldn't bring herself to agree with him. So she merely turned her gaze back to the fire.

That was enough for Zelos, however. He knew he'd gotten to her, and he knew it was for the better. '_But that annoying ninja pride of hers won't let her admit it.'_ She would eventually, though. He somehow knew it.

"Hey Zelos?" Sheena started, her gaze upon him once more.

"Yeah?" He offered, cocking his head slightly in curiosity.

"Honestly, do you think we'll make it through this? That man, Kage… He had amazing power. I'm not sure I have the strength to fight him..." A hint of triumph raced through the Chosen, for this show of uncertainty by the ninja showed that she truly had taken his words to mind. He plastered a bright, reassuring grin on his face.

"Of course we will! He's a wimp, you should've seen how he ran away when he saw me. And if he lays a finger on my voluptuous hunny, I'll lop off his head then and there!" His voice was lighthearted, slightly joking at the last part, yet a hint of truth rang through. Still the summoner seemed unconvinced. "We'll be fine. I'm the Chosen of Tethe'alla, and I have more angel in me than human at this point, and you're the best ninja in the two worlds combined!"

"I'm the _only_ ninja in the two worlds combined." She corrected wryly, and he shrugged innocently.

"So? That automatically makes you the best." He teased, and the ninja couldn't help but smile slightly. Suddenly, a look of concern swept over the redhead's face. After a moment of confusion, Sheena's face mirrored his look, though she was still unsure of what had caused it.

"Zelos?" She inquired, looking around her in case something was coming up behind her.

"Your wound." He observed, and the ninja looked to her side. Where the water had weakened it, the bandage had given up, and now blood flowed straight from the wound and through the cloth of her robe. She was running out of the ninja blood-removal mixture she'd brought with her, having used it to clean her robes on the numerous occasions she'd bloodied them. There was still nearly a half a bottle though, and she was using it as sparingly as she could… '_By the time I bleed enough to use it up, I'll be dead. Heh.'_ She slid her fingers under her ribbon at the small of her back, pulling out the bottle and dripping a few drops of the liquid on her fingers. Placing those fingers to her side, she paused a moment, as if feeling for blood. Acting as if she'd found no blood, she lifted her hand away from the now stainless robe.

"What do you mean, my wound? It's fine." She stated, hoping he didn't notice as she slid the bottle back into her ribbon.

"But… I saw-… There was-… I don't know how you got rid of it, but there was blood there a minute ago." He mused, brow furrowed in confusion. "I think you need your bandage changed."

"Not by you, I don't." Argued the ninja, her hand flying to her side on reflex.

"You didn't mind much last time." He teased.

"That's cause I had bigger issues on my mind. Like STAYING ALIVE, maybe?"

"Good point." He turned and rummaged once more through his stuff, soon coming up with the remainder of a roll of bandages. He tossed the roll to Sheena, then turned his back. "Do it yourself, then."

"Are you _kidding_ me? You'll peek!" She objected indignantly. Zelos opened his mouth to deny it, but closed it once he realized he may not be able to resist. "Go off that way! Sit on the other side of that tree way over there!" She demanded, and Zelos turned around and gave her a look that said 'You've GOT to be kidding me.' Upon reading the absolutely serious look on Sheena's face, he sighed and trotted off to the specified tree. He settled down with his back to the tree, already missing the warmth of the fire. '_If she doesn't hurry up, I might freeze out here. Stupid cold...'_ He thought, rubbing his arms for warmth.

Meanwhile, Sheena somewhat warily untied the pink ribbon that held her robe shut and exposed her undergarments once more, her gaze fixed on the useless scraps of what once was a tightly wound bandage clinging to her middle. The majority of which was red with blood by now. Carefully picking it off, she winced at the sight of her wound, for this was the first time she'd actually _seen_ it. '_No wonder it hurts so bad...'_ Carefully winding the new bandage around her middle, she covered the wound back up, making the bandages a little thicker than Zelos had. '_In case it rains again.'_ She decided. At last, the job was done. The ninja hastily re-fastened her robe and turned left and right a bit, testing the bandages' flexibility. Satisfied, she decided it was time to call Zelos back.

"Okay, come on back." She called to the tree, since the Chosen was completely out of sight behind it. Soon the redhead was seated by the fire again, warming his hands once more. Sheena chuckled… Obviously the pampered Chosen wasn't too acclimated to cold. Oh well, though. They were cold mainly because they were wet, and they hopefully weren't going to spend many more nights wet.

Surprisingly, there was no more discussion that night. Though occasionally a word or two was exchanged, nothing was said that truly mattered. After a while, Zelos leaned back away from the fire, his hands behind his head as a pillow.

"I'm going to sleep now." He announced, followed by a "Nighty-night."

"Goodnight, Zelos." She replied, and it wasn't long before she heard a soft snoring coming from the redhead. The ninja smiled softly to herself… '_He's kinda okay, when he's not being a pervert.'_ She decided, her gaze resting a moment on his sleeping form.

The fire died down, but Sheena didn't attempt to rekindle the blaze. By that time, she too had drifted into a sound sleep. And, slowly, the rain ceased to fall.

_(Dunno if that's the best chappie, but it was okay. Read, review, etc. Ciao!)_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_(Konnichiwa! Heh, that kinda sounds like Kuchinawa. Sorta. But anyways…Wow. I never thought I'd make it this far. Nine chappies already… -clings to story- This is great. Mree…If only I could write the fics as fast as I plan them. I already have a sequel, a tri-quel, and a fourth book, whatever you call that, planned out. As well as a Kraine fic, but that's beside the point. I need to hurry upppp… Thanks for all the reviews, by the way. Mucho gracias. )_

The sun, bright and bold, peeking through the limbs of the trees was what roused the ninja from her sleep the next morning, though the moment it shone into her opening eyes a hand flew up to offer them shade. The first thing she noticed was the lack of rumbling and storming noises… '_The rain must have stopped while we were asleep.'_ Sheena decided. Her thoughts were pulled back to the persistently-shining sun as her arm grew slightly tired of shielding her eyes. More specifically, the angle the sun had to be at to bother her in such a manner. It was fairly high in the sky, she noticed. '_What time is it?'_ She questioned, surprised that it was so late. By her calculations, she'd slept in pretty late… It was nearly noon!

The ninja shivered slightly as a breeze swept through their makeshift camp; her clothes were still damp were she had slept on them, and the wind only made the chill worse. The chirping of a bird sounded from a tree nearby, a sound Sheena knew meant that all bad weather had long gone. Sun bathed the area, setting it aglow with color. And, despite herself, Sheena smiled.

"So, the fearless ninja _does_ know how to smile." Sheena whirled around in surprise, for she didn't know he had awoken yet until he spoke. The moment she met his eyes she turned away once more, for the surprise was over and now she was faced with a whole nother day with such comments. However harmless he intended them, such remarks irked the ninja, for Zelos knew just how to push her buttons. He knew just what her weaknesses were, however small, and he exploited them at whim. Though not as much lately… Still, plenty enough to bug Sheena. And the concept of riding another long day on his back didn't seem to appetizing at the moment.

"The reason you didn't heal me when I was first wounded was because you were weak from the fight, correct?" She demanded.

"Yeah… Why?" He responded lazily, his back resting against the tree.

"You're clearly much better now, unless you've got a sword through the leg hidden somewhere in those baggy pants of yours."

"So?" He questioned, still unsure of what she was getting at.

"Heal me now. Even if you can't COMPLETELY fix my side, it'll be enough that I can walk again." She instructed, and Zelos could barely contain his disappointment.

"What was wrong with yesterday? I didn't mind carrying you, if that's what you're worried about."

"You wouldn't." Sheena stated dryly, knowing full well he'd carry her for days on end if it meant he got to be as close as he did the day before. The redhead sighed, and once more raised a hand to her temple.

"First Aid!" He murmured, and at once he felt a large portion of his energy flow from his body and into hers. '_With the amount of energy it took to heal her, her wound must have been deeper than I thought!'_ The Chosen watched the ninja as she slowly rose, in a manner that showed she half expected the pain to come racing back the moment she made a wrong move. Even when she was fully standing, it took her a moment to trust her body enough to take a step, then another. By the fifth step, Sheena was more at ease, and by the tenth a look of elation had appeared in her eyes. Which, in turn, made Zelos happy for her.

"Alright, let's go!" She declared, her voice considerably lighter now that she could walk on her own two feet.

"Right behind ya!" Zelos replied, gathering his things and packing them back together before turning and catching up to the ninja.

Sheena was happy. No, not happy. More like ecstatic. Having not made any real movement for over 48 hours, she was filled with an energy like never before. The ninja didn't want to walk… No, she wanted to _run._ To jump, to climb, to dance about. Okay, perhaps craving such things after such little time seems irrational, but not for Sheena. For the ninja valued her freedom more than much of anything else. Freedom to travel wherever her whim would take her, freedom to do what she pleased. Freedom to walk without aid, not confined to the ground by unbearable pain. She kept her energy bridled, however, for she wouldn't dare show such actions in front of another, especially Zelos. It just didn't feel right. Besides, though Altamira's towered silhouette was already visible in the distance, it was far too far away to waste her energy so early in the day's travel.

"Hey Sheena?" Zelos started, and she shook her head slightly, giving him the impression that she'd been in thought. Still though, she turned to him, curiosity showing on her face.

"Yeah?" Prompted the ninja.

"Have you thought about what I said? About true weaknesses?"

"Yeah. I... I know you're right, but I can't just give up what I've grown to believe for twenty-one years." She stated hesitantly. The redhead nodded in understanding. "It's what I live by, in a sense. What do you live by?"

"The Three L's." The Chosen declared matter-of-factly.

"The Three L's? What're they? Liquor, Lust, and Ladies?"

"Close, but no. The Three L's… Live, Laugh, Love." He informed her gleefully. '_Live, Laugh, Love... If only life were that easy.'_ The ninja wished such a simple philosophy would work for her. But how could she continue to live so easily when all her companions had died? How could she laugh, when all her life she'd been prized for her seriousness and maturity? How could she love, when the one she might truly want to be with was never meant to be?

"Easier to remember than mine, I'll give you that much." She stated with a half-hearted chuckle. He beamed, perhaps thinking he'd surprised her with a philosophy that didn't involve getting laid every five minutes. He had, though only a little. She was getting more and more used to the tolerable Zelos these days… And, of course, this is where the 'right on cue' streak returns.

"Though 'liquor, lust, and ladies' is pretty good too. I think I'll take that one instead." He grinned, earning him a smack on the cheek. Leave it to Zelos to ruin yet another peaceful moment. It didn't surprise Sheena, that he was still focused on his many woman admirers, but what DID surprise her was how it had slightly disappointed her. '_Why do I care? He's just a philanderer, a pervert, and an ass._' She fumed, though only in her mind. "Care to help me put my new philosophy into action?"

"Go get one of your floozies to do it!" She snapped, shutting the Chosen up straight away. '_I was only joking... How was _I _supposed to know she'd get all pissy?'_ He mentally whined, in an attempt to deny the disappointment that came with knowing he blew it once again. Eventually that disappointment came, however, and for a majority of the way to Altamira he shuffled along and sulked. In case you haven't seen Zelos sulk, I must say it's quite a funny sight. It's not just walking in a sad fashion… It's dramatic, like everything else that has to do with the redhead. So the redhead sulked quite visibly for most of the day. Which irked Sheena even more, for she thought he was sulking because she'd declined, because he didn't get his way, not because of his tendency to screw things up.

Once again, silence washed over the travelers… And once again, Zelos managed not to disrupt it. '_I wonder when she's just gonna get sick of me and leave? It's bound to happen sometime.'_ He thought sullenly, for already he'd grown accustomed to her presence, to the second set of footsteps as he traveled, to the soft breaths of another nearby as he fell asleep. It would feel so weird without having her there... But the way he kept pissing her off, she wasn't going to travel with him much longer.

'_Why do I get all worked up when he makes even such idiotic and stupid jokes as that? I should be used to it by now...'_ The ninja scolded herself, though immediately another voice popped into her head. 'You _liiiike_ me.' The teasing yet carefree voice of the Chosen was what came in response to her question. In reflex, she sent a fierce glare his way, but managed to stifle it as she realized that the voice was only in her head. Still, he had seen it, and averted his gaze to the ocean far to their left. For a moment, Sheena felt bad for glaring at him, for he hadn't done anything to deserve it. But there was nothing she could do now, so her attention was brought back to the voice, who was chanting it's three favorite words over and over in her head. '_SHUT UP!'_ She screamed at the voice, and it fell silent. '_I don't like him. I _can't_. He's a stubborn, perverted, philanderer who couldn't keep his hands and eyes to himself if his life depended on it. Besides, he doesn't like me like that.'_ After a pause, the voice returned. 'How do _you_ know?' Flustered slightly, she thought a response. '_Because he treats me like one of his idiot 'hunnies'. If he _did _like me, he'd treat me better than that.'_ She protested indignantly. 'Maybe that's the only way I know how to treat women.' For a moment, the ninja seriously pondered this. '_I'm done discussing this. Heh, I must be insane, I'm talking to myself and myself is answering.'_ But the voice never came again. Not once. And Sheena found it was slightly lonely without it.

"Altamira." Zelos broke the silence, gesturing toward the city whose gate the pair stood just outside. The summoner jolted from her thoughts, and upon realizing they'd arrived, she nodded slightly. The voice had made some sense, but not enough to push her anger away altogether. They entered the city together, and it took a moment for the ninja to soak in all the extravagant colors that for a little over a week she'd been without out in the wilderness.

"Hotel?" This time it was her who offered a bit of speech, and he who merely nodded. They soon had entered the lobby of the hotel, though not without resentment and glares from the other customers, for their clothes weren't in the best of shape after so much action as of late. Sheena strode up to the short, brunette man behind the counter. "Two rooms, please." The man glanced down at the book before him on the counter.

"I apologize, miss. There's only one room left. The amusement park just re-opened, and business is booming." He replied. The feeling Sheena experienced next was so conflicting it nearly made her nauseous. Never before had she felt such dread and such joy at the same time, or even at separate times. For a moment, she was dizzy, but the ninja managed to steady herself before anyone noticed. Anyone but Zelos, that is, but she'd deal with him later.

"We'll take it." She replied, much more confidently then she felt, and her words sent a look of surprise across Zelos's face. She chose to ignore it, however, waiting somewhat impatiently for the man to hurry with his scribblings and give them the key already. At last, he reached beneath the counter, there was a sound that resembled metal against wood, and a key was thrust into her waiting hand. Sheena nodded a thank you before striding to the elevator, Zelos following close. She leaned against the glass wall of the elevator, resting the back of her head on it's cool surface and closing her eyes. The dizziness had mostly faded, yet she was left with this feeling of dread and joy which she was still unable to comprehend. She felt a hesitant hand on her shoulder, and opened her eyes to find Zelos watching her concernedly. She shook her head, denying that anything was wrong. The hand was removed, though he seemed unsure if she was truly okay, for she had a tendency to lie about such things. She paid no mind to this uncertainty, however, for the ninja wasn't in the mood to waste words. Soon, the elevator lurched to a stop at their floor, and the pair stepped off into a hallway. There were many rooms on each side, and one at the very end. Sheena looked at the number on her key. 100. It looked to her like they had the end room.

Zelos, meanwhile, had no idea where they were going, aside from the fact that one of these rooms was theirs for the night. It could be any one of the seemingly endless rooms. So he just followed Sheena. Past what seemed like hundreds of doors the pair walked before they reached the very end of the hall. Room 100. He watched Sheena slip the key into the lock, and soon the door swung open. And they beheld the room which would house them for at least the night.

It was better than Sheena had expected… Though she was expecting the usual room, not one from Altamira's grand hotel. It was fairly well decorated, and pleasing to the eye. But that's not what she noticed first. '_There's only one bed.'_ She realized with dread. And the ninja did not by any means intend to sleep on the floor. The first thing she did was plant herself firmly on the foot of the bed, as if marking her territory.

"What's that look for? You don't expect me to sleep on the _floor_, do you?" Zelos questioned in a voice that bordered a whine.

"There's only one bed." Stated the ninja, as if that fact alone could change his mind.

"But can't we _share_ it?" He offered his idea, and the ninja's eyes went wide with surprise and disbelief. She raised a hand to smack him, but decided against it and stormed off into the bathroom.

'_Now... I can either claim the bed now while she's in the bathroom, presumably showering, or I can let her have it.'_ The first option ensured him the best sleep he'd had in weeks, a soft bed, and absolutely no stiffness in the morning. The second option… the second option ensured his survival through the night. '_I choose floor.' _He hastily decided. Cerulean eyes looked upon the hard floor with distaste. Even the dirt outside appeared more comfortable, and most nights the dirt was near freezing. Snatching a pillow from the bed and a blanket folded at it's foot, the redhead laid the blanket out so he had at least SOME padding between himself and the unyielding wood of the floorboards. He placed the pillow at the head of the blankets and laid down to test out his handiwork. '_Not the best,'_ Zelos grimaced, '_But not the worst either.'_

Meanwhile, Sheena was washing more than dirt and sweat from her body as she washed herself in the shower. She was washing away all the tension and stress that the journey and Zelos had caused. For the first time since her quest for retribution had began, she was alone. '_No... It can't be the first time.'_ She thought reasonably. '_Come to think of it... I can't think of any time I _have _been away from Zelos, not recently. Wow, I've managed an entire week of that idiot Chosen nonstop, and I haven't strangled him yet.' _Her thoughts returned to the bed she'd claimed as the young woman heard shuffling outside the bathroom door. '_Though there's a first time for everything.'_ All the while, she continued to work on the puzzle that had troubled her since she'd entered the hotel. What was that feeling she felt? The feeling of great dread, yet immense joy at the same time? '_This is only an idea, but maybe... Maybe I don't want to stay in the same room as him because he's still an idiotic pervert, but I am glad I have to because... Because it's been weeks since I've been alone, and I no longer know what true silence sounds like.'_ This was true. Every day, she'd heard his steady footsteps close by, or him shifting around by the fire, and every night she'd fallen asleep to the sound of his breathing. Before this journey, there was nearly nothing but silence. And now, silence was as foreign to her as wielding a sword. What surprised her most was that she liked it that way.

When the ninja emerged from the bathroom, fully robed with a light lime-green towel wrapped around her wet hair like a turban, she was surprised to find the Chosen already asleep on the floor. '_It's been a long day... Hell, it's been a long _week_...'_ She decided this was the cause of his early slumber, and tiptoed around his sleeping form to get to her own bed. She sat on it's foot, removing the towel and gently brushing out her fair length ebony hair. She brushed and brushed until it was dry, and only then did she allow herself to relax, for if she laid down with it still wet it would be impossible to deal with the following day. Crawling beneath the sheets and comforters of the amazingly soft double bed, Sheena sighed in contentment. It had been far too long since she'd lain in something so soft as that bed, and she was relishing it to the fullest. Even before the moonlight rose over the horizon, she too had fallen asleep, days of fatigue catching up on her. Too bad this was too good to last.

--------

_She stood before the wreckage of her village once more, yet this time Kage and many other faceless men were still on the scene, setting fire and slaughtering her kin. _

"_No!" She cried out, her voice filled with anguish and desperation in hopes that she could change what was to come. Though it was near impossible, Sheena still clung to the miniscule hope that she could change things, save her village. None of the bandits heard her. She watched in horror as they sliced and stabbed her comrades, a cry of pain escaping each one. A cry of disappointment, of failure. 'You failed us, Sheena...' each one seemed to say. It seemed numberless, the amount of times she heard that cry, though with different voice each time. She watched the slaughter of each and every last ninja, her eyes vacant with grief and revulsion. Then, one by one, the men turned to her. Kage and his men slowly closed in on the summoner, and she backed away, yet something caught her foot. She was falling once more..._

Sheena's eyes snapped open after feeling a harsh thud against her body. A gasp escaped her lips, though relief overwhelmed her to find it had all been some sort of dream – yet so real a dream that even in awakening it haunted her. It did not take her long to realize she had fallen on the floor... and right beside Zelos who lay sleeping next to her. Fortunately he must have turned in his sleep away from the edge of her bed, so instead of falling on top of him, which would have been embarrassing beyond measure, she fell next to him on the blanket.

In frenzy, Sheena attempted to silently sneak her way back into her bed, but before she could move Zelos turned on his stomach in his sleep and rested his arm over her, trapping her in place. She lay still, daring not to move or barely even to breathe, realizing if she pushed him away she would wake him up and would have to explain herself – and she would have a lot of explaining to do. As a result, she waited patiently for him to remove his arm from across her chest, especially since it was awkwardly placed over her bosom. However, much to her dismay, Zelos only moved closer to her in his sleep and didn't seem disturbed by her presence in the least. His head rested so close to hers that when he turned it sideways in her direction she could feel his hot breath lick at her cheeks.

Sheena hoped he wasn't actually awake and knowing she was lying next to him, because if she found out he was and he purposely put his arm in the place it was currently in, she would make him painfully regret it. Her patience was wearing thin, but she was desperate not to have him find out she fell out of bed and almost on top of him, and knowing Zelos he would never let her hear the end of it. Minutes passed, turning from ten into twenty, until Zelos shifted restlessly in his sleep once more. Suddenly he moved from lying on his stomach to lying on his side facing her, though his arm did not remove itself from her chest, instead it seemed to pull her toward him in his sleep.

Finally, Sheena had enough. She would not lie there all night beside Zelos, she didn't want to have to wake up the next morning and answer to his gloating face about why he found her sleeping there that night. Although she couldn't see it, she had a feeling Zelos was smirking at her in the darkness and that he was completely aware of her presence next to him. In anger, Sheena sat up and shoved his arm off of her chest, and in response was Zelos's cry of surprise that sounded in the darkness while the ninja got to her feet and spat furiously.

"Zelos! You were awake the whole time weren't you, you pervert!"

In response, Zelos sat up, wide eyed, as she climbed into her own bed and threw the covers over her, flustered beyond measurement at being caught in such an awkward position. The summoner turned to lie facing away from him, a hint of red slowly creeping into her cheeks.

Meanwhile, the Chosen blinked around in sleep-aided confusion. What was Sheena mad about? And why had she been down on the floor when he had awoken? '_This time, whatever I did wasn't my fault. I can't control it if I sleep-grope or anything like that, so she can't blame me.'_ Yet obviously she did, so with a sigh of resignation, the Chosen laid back down, turned to face away from the bed, and fell back asleep.

_(Hehe. Thanks for all the reviews! Remember that action I promised you? It comes in the next chapter. Or it STARTS in the next chapter. So... yeah. Review more! lol)_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_(Whee. Half doooone. Whoot. Whoot whoot. Okay, enough celebrating. Prepare for the uber fluffy beginning and actionish ending of Chapter 10! Mwahaha. )_

When Zelos awoke, the ninja was nowhere in sight. After a moment's panic-- '_Maybe she _did _leave me.'-- _he heard a faint whooshing sound from the bathroom. Heaving a sigh of relief, he realized she must merely be washing up and such. Sure enough, the ninja soon emerged from said bathroom, her hair back in a slick bun and her robe freshly washed. She didn't even glance his way on the way by, though… No, instead she headed straight for the nightstand by her bed, where she'd kept her belongings. The redhead rose, sitting on the bed opposite of her.

"Sheena? What's wrong? You've been acting so weird lately…" He asked. His only reply was silence.

She ceased to rummage in her things at Zelos's voice. '_If only you knew, Zelos. If only you knew how hard it is not to like you, even though you_ are _a pervert and an idiot at times. If only you knew that every time you do something nice for me, or say something kind to me, it just makes it worse. And if only I had the guts to tell you... But I can't love you. I _can't. _To love... To love is to give someone the ability to break your heart, and to trust them not to. My ability to trust, to truly trust... That left me long ago.'_ For that reason, she didn't answer the Chosen's question. She couldn't, not without spilling her entire thought process along the way.

Zelos turned his back on the ninja and sighed in defeat. He'd waited nearly two minutes for a reply, yet she hadn't even turned to face him. '_I guess it's over, then? If she won't even talk to me, how are we going to continue to journey together?' _His cerulean gaze rested on the quilt blanket just beside where he sat as he wondered how things went so wrong. '_I think I'll truly miss her...' _He realized, for all the other females he'd associated with had been one-night flings or something else along those lines. Sheena, though… She was different.

The ninja heard his sigh and the extreme sadness and disappointment it held. She cocked her head slightly. Is it possible that… he truly did care? No, it couldn't be. He treated her like one of his floozies. But perhaps that voice that had tormented her showering was right. Perhaps he truly knew no other way to treat her. Come to think of it, he did seem to at least _try_ to be nice… She turned and peeked over her shoulder. He seemed so… dejected. And Sheena felt bad for him. An impulse came to her, though for the first time it acted before the summoner could push it away. Rising, she turned and crawled across the bed, coming up behind Zelos and wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a hug. This not only surprised the redhead, but it surprised herself. It was too late to change her mind, however, so she stayed. She could feel he was tense, unsure of what she was going to do. Unsure of if she was going to slap him, or just continue hugging him. With her record, the latter was unlikely. Yet as the hug continued and Sheena made no move to cause him pain, Zelos eventually relaxed and just enjoyed the hug, curious as to why he was receiving it yet not willing to question his good fortune and voice his query.

Sheena felt him relax at last, and this drew a smile to her lips. She brought her head up to his shoulder.

"Tell a soul of this, and I'll kill you." She murmured, and he nodded, unsure of whether that threat was to be taken literally and unwilling to take that risk. The redhead brought his hand up and rested it on hers, relieved beyond words that she didn't hate him as he'd thought. And overjoyed that she might like him more than he'd known... Suddenly, a feeling came over him that he hadn't felt in quite a while. '_She deserves to know...'_

"Sheena, I-…" he started, but his voice was interrupted by the turning of the doorknob and the opening of the door. There stood Lloyd Irving, a look of shock on his face. Sheena immediately drew away, unable to meet the brunette's gaze, a blush tinting her cheeks.

Lloyd gazed at the two a moment. '_Was she just-… Did I just see Sheena hugging Zelos?' _He wondered incredulously. After a moment, he shook his head slightly. '_No, she must have been trying to strangle him or something. She does that a lot.'_ Before he could say anything more, he was grabbed by the wrist and practically dragged from Room 100 by a flustered-looking Sheena. When the two were in the elevator, she finally let go, directing it to the third floor, the restaurant.

"I was visiting Regal for a couple of days, and I heard you two were in town." He started, attempting to draw the attention away from what he'd just witnessed, for Sheena's sake.

"Yeah, we've only been here since yesterday though." She confirmed. The elevator slid to a stop and made a brief dinging sound, then the door slid open to reveal a well-decorated restaurant. Sheena stepped into the room, and Lloyd followed close behind, taking in the overall expensive look of the place with wide eyes. A waiter in traditional waiter apparel strode over to the two newest customers, nodding and offering a respectful look.

"Table for two?" He questioned, and the duo nodded. The waiter proceeded to lead them through the maze of tables and chairs to a smaller table along the window. They each took a seat, and the waiter opened up a flip book to write down their order.

"Just water for me, thanks." Sheena declined, followed by a 'Same here.' from Lloyd. The waiter wrinkled his nose slightly, for water was complimentary, which means these two would be occupying a table that a _paying_ customer might need. Still, he nodded once more and waddled off into the kitchen to get their drinks.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing with _Zelos_ of all people?" The brunette questioned, for when the journey had ended, Sheena had claimed she'd rather have her throat slit then ever see him again. Of course, that was right after he let his perverted side show through, and even LLOYD was slightly eager to be rid of him.

"Mizuho… It-…" Sheena couldn't find the words to voice what had happened to her village. "Mizuho is destroyed. Demolished. As of two weeks ago, I am the last of my kind." She stated, as loud as she trusted her voice not to betray the grief once more welling up inside her. Lloyd's eyes went wide once more. Then they narrowed in the determined way they always did when he'd found a new cause to strive for.

"Who did it? Give me a name, and they'll be dead before the day is over." He growled. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, harms Lloyd Irving's friends and gets away with it.

"No." Sheena quickly objected, loud enough to draw a few stares to their table. Both the ninja and the swordsman looked around uncomfortably a moment, until all the gazes had turned away. Softer was her speech this time. "No. You can't. This man… He has power unseen in any human. He overpowered me easily, and he nearly killed Zelos. I don't want you to get hurt too."

"But-" Lloyd started to object, but the look on Sheena's face silenced him.

"Promise me you won't get involved, Lloyd." She demanded. He stared at her defiantly, refusing to make such a promise. "Promise me, or I'll tell you nothing." After a moment, he sighed.

"Fine, I promise. Now who did this?" He questioned once more. '_Leave it to Lloyd to let curiosity get the better of him.'_

"His name is Kage. He's the leader of some sort of band of rouges, and he's incredibly strong for a human, though he bears no elven or even half-elven ears. He has people all over. Sybak, Meltokio, even here in Altamira. We're on a journey to find and defeat him, to avenge my people." She explained. Lloyd blinked, comprehending all the information that was suddenly thrown his way.

"And Zelos is with you _why_?" He questioned, for she had failed to explain that part. Sheena shrugged.

"He just kinda showed up." She stated nonchalantly. Lloyd blinked again, somewhat surprised at what he was hearing.

"And for some reason you didn't chase him away with Undine like you did last time?" Prompted the brunette.

"It's not like I didn't try." She argued defensively. "He's near impossible to get rid of." The swordsman still wasn't too sure, but he took what she gave him.

"So what brings you to Altamira?" He attempted to change the subject.

"We heard that-" The summoner started, but was interrupting by an ear-piercing scream from below. Sheena looked out the window, but the angle was wrong and all she saw were people racing frantically to the left. She leapt from her seat, dashing over to the opposite window just in time to hear a familiar yell of anger and pain. Just in time to see a familiar redhead locked in battle with a familiar muscular adversary. The ninja gasped in surprise. "Zelos!"

_(Ooooh the action begins. Yes, Sheena really did hug Zelos. And no, I don't find that out of character at all. I'm dumb that way. Heh. I know this was short, but you all want action, and I had to get this out of the way first.)_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_( Alright, alright. Here's all that action jazz you've all been asking for. –cringe- If only I could write action as well as I can write fluff. Heh. By the way, thank you Rose-Wisteria, The Zelda Master, Twilight Trinity, Dragonwings144, Winged Dancer, Strawberry Eggs, and Silverfox09 for all your reviews. I appreciate it. You guys have NO IDEA. XD I appreciate all other reviews as well, by the way, but those folks have reviewed like every chapter just about, so… yeah. –bows down- On to the Chappie!)_

The ninja raced down the stairs, having declared the elevator useless and hopelessly slow, and emerged three flights below at ground level. Her speed didn't falter, however, as she shoved through the crowded lobby. Her only thought was reaching the battle scene, Kage, and Zelos. Yet despite the frantic speed at which she raced to the fight scene, Sheena halted, frozen, just outside the hotel's sliding door. Her gaze was transfixed on the battle before her, between Kage and Zelos. She couldn't help it; their motions were so quick, yet so complex. Each swing of the sword was so swift, each block so instantaneous, it seemed like a well-rehearsed dance. A dance that Sheena was too mesmerized to interrupt.

Zelos's thoughts, however, couldn't be more different. He was fighting with all he had just to keep his head on his shoulders, while all the while waiting for an opportunity to lop off his muscular opponent's. He wanted more than just to survive… No, he wanted _revenge_. For everything. For Mizuho, for knowing just how to torture others, for Sheena. Mostly for Sheena. With a cry of rage, he swung Excalibur once more, changing his path mid-air and slashing Kage across the arm. The brunette gasped in surprise and pain.

"You NEVER touch her, got that!" Snarled the redhead, whose sword was now blade-to-blade with Kage's staff-like weapon and the battle had shifted from a test of speed to a test of strength.

Suddenly, the ninja caught sight of a smaller man with a dagger coming at Zelos from behind.

"NO!" She cried, at last released from the transfixion and covering the distance between her and the battle with unearthly speed. Bracing herself, the raven-haired summoner slammed into the smaller man with all her momentum and strength. He cried out in surprise and pain before falling swiftly to the ground, and with a sickening thud he was knocked unconscious. Sheena winced slightly at the sound, though she did not feel sorry for him. He deserved what he'd gotten. But that was the least of her problems right then.

As if the fall of the smaller man was a cue of some sort, the many shadows of Altamira took shape, and from each one another man stepped. There were many different shapes, sizes, and hair colors, yet none were as big, as sinister-looking, or as hated as Kage. They'd been waiting... Waiting for the time to strike. Zelos noticed the other men, yet to look away for even a moment would mean death for himself and likely Sheena as well.

The ninja glared fiercely at the many approaching thugs. To what purpose, she didn't know, but the glare held all the fury and hatred that she'd bottled up inside for so long. This brought a smirk to more than one of the men's faces. Time to fight. The first of them came, and Sheena was ready.

"Pyre Seal!" She cried, sending a wave of blue magic at the first. As soon as he fell, another took his place. "CYCLONE SEAL!" Another fell. Another took HIS place. And so the fight went on. The summoner was vastly outnumbered, yet she continued to fight against the odds, for if she failed… the ninja refused to think of what would happen if she failed. From the corner of her eye, Sheena noticed that Zelos was no longer locked in battle with Kage, but now he as well was surrounded by the buff man's lackeys. Kage was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit! He ESCAPED!" She roared, her deep anger alone sending violent sparks of blue flying at the nearest few men. Yet even _that_ was no use. Slowly, she and Zelos were being driven backward, 'till they were almost back to back. Down fell a blue-haired rat-like man, then a blond one with the appearance of a snake. Down fell the brunette that looked slightly similar to Kage himself, and down fell the black-haired bull-looking thug. With each step she backed, the ninja took three men with her. Yet they just kept coming! The numbers seemed inexhaustible. With one more step back, she bumped into Zelos, who thought her touch was that of one of the many thugs and whirled at her with his sword. Only in mid-swing did he realize it was Sheena, and his eyes widened as he tried to cease the sword's motion. The summoner, surprised by his sudden actions, swung her arm up in reflex to block the oncoming sword. The good news is, Zelos did manage to slow the sword. The bad news is, he couldn't slow it by much, and the razor-sharp blade sliced deep into Sheena's arm, drawing blood almost instantly. The ninja gasped in pain and dropped to one knee, cradling her gashed arm against her chest.

The redhead's cerulean eyes widened for a second time, for now he was without a capable ally and outnumbered twenty-to-one. '_There are too many of them!'_ He realized frantically, and even his Chosen pride knew when to continue fighting would be suicidal. Zelos as well dropped to one knee, wrapping an arm around Sheena to hold her close so his spell would cover them both.

"Guardian!" He cried, and instantly the protective blue dome surrounded the duo. Knowing full well that, with his angelic powers, Zelos could keep up his Guardian for far longer than they could wait, the mob slowly dispersed, grumbling at the loss of their entertainment and bloodshed. When the last of them left, Zelos removed the barrier, gasping to regain his breath from the effort of the fight. He removed his arm from around the young woman and knelt before her, concerned eyes searching her own. "Sheena, are you okay?" He questioned, worried at how bad he'd hurt her. The ninja met his gaze and, though her arm was stained crimson with blood from the wound, she nodded. Visions of the fight still danced before her eyes, and how fiercely he'd fought Kage for hurting her previously.

Again the question surfaced. _Do I trust him?_ Sheena knew not when she'd gone from uncertainty to a definite 'yes', but it had happened. Was it earlier, in the hotel room, when he'd shown he truly cared? Or was it long before that? Even though he'd wounded her arm beyond mortal repair, she automatically trusted he'd done it by accident. And she no longer cursed herself for allowing such trust. '_To love someone is to give them the ability to break your heart and trust them not to…'_ Yet she pushed that thought away, refusing to even consider it. '_No, not yet. I'm not ready.'_

Lloyd chose right then to come racing from the lobby, the way having been blocked by passersby trying to get away from the battle in the streets. He looked on helplessly, for, as much as he'd wanted to help, he'd also promised Sheena not to get involved. '_Note to self: Never, EVER, promise anything ever again.'_

The redhead reached to her arm, touching the wound lightly and sending a warm tingle down to her hand and up to her shoulder.

"I… think I can fix this." He stated, much more confidently than he'd felt. The arm was cut nearly halfway through, and he knew not if he had the strength in him to repair such a wound.

"Zelos, no. You'll kill yourself trying. I'm fine." She managed to murmur through gritted teeth, pushing away the pain as her years in ninja training had taught her to do. The ninja had voiced Zelos's fears… Yet he had to try. Bringing his right forefinger and middle finger to her forehead, he exclaimed those familiar words.

"First Aid!" the Chosen exclaimed, and immediately he felt the energy drain from his body, seeming to flow straight out through his fingertips and into the summoner which he was attempting to heal. Slowly, the blood flow lessened. Excruciatingly slowly. After a while, even the simple act of breathing grew hard for him, for breathing took energy that he scarcely had. '_Will it stop? Or will I die like this?' _he wondered, slightly panicked. The wound was barely half healed, and already he felt closer to dead than alive, held upright merely by the magic that held his two fingers to her brow. He'd never had to stop his magic mid-stream before… But either he stopped it now, or he'd likely die. With his remaining strength, Zelos jerked his fingers from her forehead, causing a moment's burning sensation as the magic mulled around in his fingertips. It seemed angry at him for ceasing it's flow… Yet eventually the burning passed.

"I healed it as best I could..." He mumbled, still trying to recover from the sudden loss of energy. Sheena was rubbing her forehead tenderly, for she too had felt the burning sensation. But she didn't complain; he seemed in much worse shape than her, even WITH her arm halfway severed. '_How much DID he heal it?'_ As if he'd read her mind, Zelos mumbled an answer. "First Aid, it… It heals things in natural order… The… the blood vessels healed first, so you… you won't bleed much. It'll just… hurt a while." Though by some miracle he managed that large amount of speech, it was broken and slightly slurred, as one would hear from someone under heavy drugs in a hospital.

The ninja looked up at the Chosen. He was resting on one knee, his head rested against the other as he attempted to recuperate. '_I never should have let him try and heal me. He was already weak from the fight…But what's done is done, and we've lost Kage again. I swear, if I ever see that ass again, I'll-'_

"Sheena, Zelos? Are you guys okay?" Lloyd's tentative question interrupted her thoughts. While she was thinking, he had approached unnoticed, and now he looked down at the two as if unsure of who to offer aid to first. They both looked pretty bad to him, Sheena with her arm and Zelos with his weakness.

"_I'm _fine. It's _him_ you should worry about." advised Sheena, her Mizuho pride forcing her out of some assistance she otherwise would have accepted in an instant. Lloyd hesitated a moment, unsure despite her reassurance, before kneeling next to Zelos.

"We need to get back to the room. We're attracting a crowd." The ninja murmured to her companions, and Lloyd nodded, eyes sweeping the people who were slowly starting to gather and wonder at what was happening. "Zelos, let Lloyd help you back to the room." She prompted. Grudgingly, Zelos complied, draping one arm over Lloyd's shoulder and accepting his aid to rise. In a slow and laborious manner, they make their way back to the room, and after what seems like forever, the summoner, the redhead, and the swordsman found themselves sitting in Room 100 once more.

By then Zelos had recovered somewhat, though he still leaned heavily on the backboard of the bed for support. Occasionally, the other two sent him worried glances, yet that grew less and less frequent as the conversation went on.

"Ugh… How could I be so stupid to lose him AGAIN?" Sheena chastised herself from her spot on the floor adjacent to the bed, banging her head on the wall behind her in a mild form of self-punishment.

"Not your fault." Zelos insisted, his voice now only mildly impaired. Reluctantly, the ninja ceased her head-banging. After a moment, her soft voice broke the silence.

"Where do we go from here? He left no clues. He could be headed for Welgaia for all we know." She fumed, still unconvinced that she wasn't the one responsible for their failure. Her words were an exaggeration, of course; no mortal short of the Chosen's group had ever set foot in the city of the angels and lived to tell the tale. Aside from that and Derris-Kharlan, however, Kage truly COULD be anywhere. Or at least be _headed_ anywhere, for it was highly unlikely that he had arrived wherever he was going in this short a time.

"Meltokio." The redhead declared, and at the other two's questioning looks he proceeded to explain. "The blonde guy… said he was from Meltokio." Though that 'explanation' brought even MORE questions to Lloyd's mind, Sheena understood perfectly, remembering all to well their mishap in Sybak. The blonde snakelike man that had celebrated Kage's victory. The victory that had destroyed life as she knew it.

"Meltokio it is, then." She agreed.

"And when we get there, I'll kick his-"

"Lloyd!" Sheena interrupted the brunette's declaration, a scolding look on her face.

"What?" Lloyd questioned innocently, a look of confusion upon his face.

"The promise." She reminded gently, and the swordsman's face fell.

"Oh yeah, _that_." He grumbled, his gaze on his feet. Silence enveloped the group, in which each wondered at their own questions. Sheena wondered how they were ever going to get out of this mess, Lloyd wondered who the 'blonde guy' was, and Zelos wondered what promise Sheena was referring to. After a while, however, Sheena brought her gaze up once more, attempting a light-hearted façade.

"So, how are you and Colette?" She questioned, attempting to lighten the mood a bit. This brought an almost childlike gleeful look to Lloyd's face.

"We're good. No, great! We're living on the outskirts of Iselia now. It's grown so much since you two were last there. Now the borders of the city are only a little ways off from Dirk's house. The villagers built us a nice little house in thanks for saving the world. They said it was the least they could do." He beamed. Sheena couldn't help but smile. If anyone deserved a house build for them as thank you, it was Lloyd and Colette. They were the courage, the faith, the strength, and the determination of the group when everyone else was ready to give up. They were what pulled us through to face and redefine the impossible. She looked up at Zelos to find him smiling too. That smile, the one that warmed her even when she was out in the frigid chill, the smile that- '_Sheena! SNAP OUT OF IT!'_

"That's great. I always knew you two would get together in the end." She replied. A cloud that was previously blocking the sun shifted to expose the fiery day-star once more, reminding Sheena of their journey ahead. So many days she'd looked to the sun for the time that it became a reliable reminder to focus the ninja on the quest. She looked to Zelos, somewhat hesitant to ruin the mood.

"If you're feeling better, I think we should go…" She mused softly, and the redhead nodded in response, pushing himself to the edge of the bed and rising somewhat shakily. The summoner almost changed her mind, noticing how unsteady he seemed, but before she voiced her concerns he managed to stabilize himself and turned to her expectantly. Sheena glanced to Lloyd, who immediately caught the hint.

"Yeah, I should go too. I need to stop by and see Genis and the Professor on the way back to Iselia. They live in Sybak now, haven't you heard? Raine wanted to 'immerse herself in her study'." When he came to Raine's words, he put on a tone that one such as Zelos would describe as 'fancy-pants'. This drew a chuckle from all three of them. When their moment of amusement was through, however, Sheena rose to her feet, joining the other two at full altitude before tucking her essential objects under her ribbon. With one last look at the nice, comfortable, inviting bed, she sighed and stepped from Room 100.

The trio walked in silence to the entrance of the Seaside Paradise, for none could think of anything to say when they were so close to parting ways once more. Part of Sheena wished Lloyd could come with them; he was their good friend, after all, and his swordsmanship would likely prove quite helpful. But he was often reckless and many a time the brunette plunged into battle without thought of the consequences, something that would likely get him killed, when dealing with Kage. It was that exact piece of knowledge that made her demand he promise not to get involved. It was bad enough that _Zelos_ could be killed because of her, she didn't want Lloyd in that danger too. In a sense, it truly was because of her. Because they had wanted to destroy every last one of the ninjas, and she had slipped past their assault.

At last, they reached the arch that read 'Welcome to Altamira!', though you had to stand on the opposite side to read it properly. At their last parting, Sheena had hugged Lloyd fiercely, for he had been her closest friend during the Journey of Regeneration… She glanced at Zelos. This time, hugging Lloyd didn't seem right.

Zelos refrained from embracing the swordsman as well, as he too had done when their last journey had ended. He was only messing around, of course, when he'd hugged Lloyd. Still, that didn't seem right anymore, not with Sheena there.

"Uh… Goodbye, I guess." Lloyd shuffled uncomfortably. He'd always hated goodbyes. Not only did they tear friends apart, but they were often awkward and drawn-out.

"Seeya, buddy." Zelos teased, using the nickname-of-sorts he'd often bugged the brunette with along the course of the journey.

"Later, Lloyd. I'll see you again, sometime. Heck, I may even come visit you in Iselia, when we kick Kage's ass." She grinned. '_IF we kick Kage's ass.'_ Those words were left unsaid, though all three of them thought that question as Lloyd strode off one way and the other two strode off the other. Though the day was warm and the birds were chirping away, the ninja harbored and pondered the familiar doubt. '_What if we _don't _win? What then?'_

_(Hehe. This one was better than I thought it would be. I was most of the way through what I'd had planned, but only a third of the way through the 3000 or so words this chapter is. Yay for useless fluff. xD)_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_(I don't know how many times I've started off a chapter with this word, but wow. I'm still so amazed at how far I've gotten. I may even finish this fic! Mwahahaha. Don't worry, I intend to try my hardest so this one doesn't die like the others did. Mree. Whoa, and did you know that in mythology, Heimdall was the guardian of Asgard? Heimdall must have been a person. It's kinda cool, since Heimdall and Asgard are both in ToS. And by the way, for the sake of this fic I'm making his mansion much much bigger than it is in the game. Like four stories high. Hehe. )_

It's funny, how you can pass by something a million times yet never truly notice it. This was the case for Sheena as she and Zelos strode up to the ivory arch that marked the entrance to the Imperial City. For the first time, her hazel eyes caught the golden horses carved into each of the upper corners, poised to leap over the massive doorway. For the first time, as she passed between the two wide-open doors, did she notice the intricate designs carved upon each one. The doorway in itself was a work of art. '_Heh, and I thought _Altamira _was fancy.'_

The pair made their way up the cobblestone path, between the twin light-posts of bronze and the twin light-posts of pure gold, each adorning a flag bearing Meltokio's colors, red and teal. Before they could set foot upon the equally ornate stairway, however, a small brown-haired boy came scampering up to Zelos, tugging on his sleeve with wide eyes. The redhead obliged to the small child's request, kneeling down to his level.

"Hello there, Finn!" He greeted, a wide grin on his face. Sheena glanced from the Chosen to the young boy. 'Hmm, _I wonder which is more mature?'_ She thought to herself, and a ghost of a smirk appeared on her lips. Even though he was more tolerable nowadays, the young woman still enjoyed making fun of Zelos at times.

"Hewwo, Chosen." The young boy replied, and from his manner of speech Sheena decided he was only about seven. '_How does Zelos know this boy?'_ she wondered, but decided it wasn't important to ask.

"How've you been? Have you been a good boy while I was gone?" Teased the Chosen, which drew a giggle from the boy, whom Zelos had called Finn.

"Yeah!" Finn grinned, and Zelos nodded as if saying 'good job'. After a moment, the redhead looked up to Sheena, though his words were still to the boy.

"Finn, this is Sheena. She's going to stay here in Meltokio for a while." He explained, and the boy's eyes widened at the ninja. This was the first time the young brunette had seen a REAL ninja before, though he knew what they were from his mother's explanations. However, his mother had portrayed them as dirty thieves. He squinted, scrutinizing the woman before him. '_She doesn't wook wike a dirty thief to me.'_ Finn decided, and grinned at Zelos again.

"Are you guys married?" He asked innocently, which caused Sheena's own eyes to widen, and she turned away to hide her reddening cheeks. Zelos merely smiled slightly, and his reply came without missing a beat.

"Not yet."

'_Not yet? NOT YET? What's THAT supposed to mean? I don't intend to marry him anytime in the near OR distant future, so he'd better not have THAT idea.'_ The ninja fumed, still a bright red.

"Can you and Sheena come pway with me?" Pleaded Finn, and the redhead chuckled, standing up once more.

"Sorry, Finny-boy, I've got business to take care of here in Meltokio before we have to leave again."

"Aww, do you _have_ to?" The boy whined, and Zelos nodded.

"Yep. It's _really important._" He hushed his voice for effect, and the child nodded, obviously under the impression that the 'business' was some big secret. Something Zelos had learned since he'd first met the young boy when Finn had gotten lost in the slums was that the child would keep a secret to the grave, if he had to. Secrets were a big deal to the brown-haired boy, and even the mention of something hush-hush would silence his chatter.

Just then, a shrill, somewhat dignified cry of 'Finn! For Martel's sake, get back here!' broke the mood. The boy sidled behind Zelos, clinging to his miraculously white pants in an attempt to hide himself.

"Cassandra! He's over here, hunny!" Zelos called out, and the boy squeaked and buried himself deeper in the folds of Zelos's colorless slacks. Almost immediately, a large-chested woman with long blonde curls piled up on her head and a large blue gown appeared, lifting the sides of her gown to navigate the stairs as all proper ladies do. Coming to a stop before the pair, she gazed at Zelos expectantly.

"Well? Where his he?" She demanded, and Zelos reached a hand down to nudge the boy from his hiding place. "Finn! How _dare_ you run off like that! You had me worried sick!" The boy gazed at the ground shamefully, an act that had always pleased his overly proper mother before. After a moment, he gazed hopefully up at the woman, his eyes pleading.

"But the _Chosen_ is back!" He pleaded, knowing that would be the best way to avoid trouble for his actions. Ever since Zelos had taken a liking to the boy when he'd rescued him from the Slums, Lady Cassandra had been steering the Finn toward him, hoping that the Chosen's liking to her son would help her convince him to wed her. Yes, she was just another fangirl. But one of the more dignified ones, if she did say so herself. At his mention of the Chosen, she looked up at Zelos once more, batting her eyelashes in a flirty fashion.

'_Oh puh-lease.' _Sheena thought in disbelief. If this Cassandra woman were any more obvious, she'd be screaming 'I WANT TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN'. '_Which I wouldn't put below her, right about now.'_

Though her notice of Sheena was somewhat belated, the lady soon turned a disdainful eye on the violet-clothed ninja. '_I see the 'torn and dirty' look is back in.'_ She snorted to herself, eyeing the other woman's apparel with distaste. Out loud, her words were much less insulting… Though her tone said it all.

"Who's _she_?" Cassandra scoffed, and the ninja offered a nice, friendly death-glare in return. She didn't intend to let one of Zelos's floozies treat _her_ like scum.

"This is Sheena. She's a good friend of mine… Is that a problem?" Though his voice was as lighthearted as usual, there was an underlying threat in his words. Sheena interpreted them as something along the lines of 'Say anything worse than '_Your clothes look nice.'_ and I'll have you beheaded.'… Or something like that. She wasn't too fluent in Zelos-speak anyways.

"Will she be staying long?" Cassandra asked innocently, though she was sending the ninja the snobbiest, most derisive look she could manage.

"Only for a few days. Then _we'll_ be leaving again." He replied, with emphasis on the 'we'll'. "Don't worry, hunny. I'll be back before you can miss me too much!"

"You'd better." The noblewoman replied somewhat teasingly before herding her son off up the stairs once more. After a pause, Sheena broke the silence. She coughed slightly.

"Well. She seemed… _nice._" The summoner stated, barely able to force out that last word. Zelos smiled dryly, agreeing with her in a way that nobody who witnessed could use against him. Sure, they could try. They could say 'Zelos thinks you're all bitchy know-it-alls!', but how could they prove it? 'Well, that ninja said you were _nice_, in a way that didn't really mean you were nice, and Zelos smiled in a way that meant he agreed.' See where others might get confused?

"Let's head for my mansion, or there's a pretty good chance that more'll come. I'm a chick-magnet." He advised, somehow managing that last statement with a totally straight face. The ninja nodded, and together they hastily ascended two flights of stairs and veered right into the nobles' section. Before they'd taken two steps in, however, Zelos spotted one of Cassandra's closest friends, another of the many women he called 'his hunnies'. "Oh shit." Before the woman could notice him, however, he grabbed Sheena's sleeve and pulled her into the bushes on the left. Or what _looked like_ the bushes. Instead, the violet-robed summoner found herself being dragged along a narrow path, brick walls nearly close enough to touch her shoulders. When they emerged once more, the two were on a grassy hill, overlooking a large complex garden, one that you could wander for hours yet never discover all it's mysteries. '_Remember to take a walk there later.'_ She noted in wonder, before following Zelos along small trail to his house. When she caught up, he was standing before the backside of said mansion, surveying… something.

"If you take a flying leap from there, spring off of that over _there_, grab-" Sheena's eyes widened. He was attempting to plan her leap to the balcony far above their heads. She interrupted him mid-stream.

"No. Nuh uh. Noooo way. There's no way you're getting _me_ to jump up there. Why don't _you_ do it?" She objected.

"Nope, no-can-do. See, you're a _ninja_. Not the best ninja in the world, but a ninja nonetheless. And I… I'm _not._ Therefore, it's _your_ job to do the fancy little leaps and get up there, then send a rope down for me." He explained, as if he'd done it a million times. She decided to ignore his 'not the best' comment.

"Yeah, and there's just gonna be a really long rope conveniently piled right there." She raised an eyebrow, and her voice was skeptical. Zelos beamed.

"Actually, there is." He confirmed, still beaming. Sheena sighed in aggravation.

"Why don't you use your fancy little wings to _fly_ up there?" She suggested, by no means intending to make the leap Zelos was planning. His face fell, and he shivered slightly, as one would when reliving not-so-pleasant memories.

"I guess I can…" The redhead stated hesitantly. He closed his eyes, drawing deep inside himself to reach for the magic that would reveal his fiery orange wings. Almost immediately, the familiar chill came over him. That's why he hated to draw his wings. Whenever he had them out, he was cold, chilled to the bone… and alone. It felt like he was the only being in the world, even if he knew he wasn't. The redhead didn't know why it was like that… Colette seemed to have no problem with _her_ wings. Perhaps it was because he deserted Cruxis before they had fully completed his angel transformation. Perhaps not. It could be anything, but he had no time to ponder more, for his wings had at last faded into existence.

The ninja slightly regretted making him bring out his wings. She had noticed something strange about him, something like dread, when she'd mentioned it… And when he opened his eyes once more, something was different. They were distant, in a sense. Cold. Sheena couldn't help herself; she shivered as well. She didn't like this Zelos, not one bit. That was the last time she intended to even hint he draw his wings. And she hoped he wouldn't draw them otherwise, either.

He wrapped an arm around her middle, making sure she wouldn't slip from his grasp, before his wings flapped softly into life. This didn't bring the summoner the warm feeling she usually got from his touch… Not this time, for his hand and arm were freezing cold. Just like his eyes.

This was the first time she'd flown without the aid of a Rhieard, and she wasn't sure she enjoyed the helpless feeling it brought her. Otherwise she would have trusted him not to drop her, but after such visible changes… the ninja wasn't so sure anymore. It was a relief when she was safely upon the balcony, enough so that she allowed herself to sink to her knees and rest a moment. When she looked up once more, she was relieved to find that the redhead was back to normal. Back to warm-eyed, wingless Zelos.

"Well… This is my place." He informed nonchalantly, as if it weren't completely obvious. The ninja couldn't help but smirk.

"Oh really? I couldn't tell." The sarcasm was heavy in her tone, and Zelos snickered. He waited for her to rise to her feet before opening the multi-colored stained glass door and entering his room.

"Yes, really, and _this_ is my room. No, you can't take a shirt as a souvenir."

"Um, why would I _want_ to?" The ninja queried, lifting up the nearest shirt with two fingers and holding it out at arm's length.

"Because I'm irresistibly sexy." He informed, snatching the shirt and tossing it out of sight. "Next question, why didn't Sebastian clean up around here? This is just as dirty as when I left!" Sheena didn't bother to answer that, or even try. After all, what would _she_ know about the actions of Zelos's butler? "Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah. This is my room. At its worst, I admit, but still my room. You can stay here, if you like…" At the ninja's 'not gonna happen' look, he sighed and continued. "Or you can stay in the guest room next door." Still the look. "Two doors down?" _Still _the look. "Alright, alright. You can have the room at the end of the hall. Happy?"

"Quite." Replied the ninja before she stepped out into the hallway, leaving Zelos to do what he wished with the mess he called a 'room'. The mansion hadn't changed a bit since she had last stayed there… She'd always loved it, and how effortlessly beautiful it seemed. With it's warm cream-hued walls and it's gold, silver, and ivory touches here and there, the house was perfect. '_Well, almost perfect, though the house bears no responsibility for the idiocy of it's resident.' _Sheena felt no urge to smirk, however… Either insulting the redhead was getting old, or she was too fond of him to insult him. Hastily, she chose the first option. '_Fond of that _pervert_? What kind of bullshit is _that_?'_ the summoner mentally scoffed. The one thing she didn't like about the place was the massive amount of stairs involved in getting from floor to floor… '_Screw exercise. I could stay fit by just walking up to my room each night. Heh.'_

A sudden impulse fought it's way to the young woman's attention, and her lips spread into a mischievous smirk. She brought herself over to the banister, running her hand down the closest length of it experimentally. Wooden, but the smoothest wood she'd ever felt. Perfect. Before she could talk herself out of it, the ninja had placed her rear on the banister and was sliding down at near breakneck speeds. '_Breakneck, meaning what'll happen if I slip.'_ She thought dryly, but it was too late for second thoughts. So Sheena brought her head down for less wind resistance and let speed and gravity do all the work. Past three floors-- or was it four? she'd been sliding too fast to count-- she slid, reaching speeds she didn't even know were possible, let alone on a simple wooden banister. A laugh of sheer bliss forced from her throat, yet she didn't bother to silence it. Zelos was still in his room far above, he likely couldn't hear her laugh. '_Thank god there aren't any bumps.'_ Yet the summoner should have known not to think that, with her streak of predicting the worst, for she'd reached ground level and the banister curved near vertical before her.

Eyes widening, the ninja could do nothing but watch with dread as she sped toward the incline. Or as she sped _up_ the incline. She regained use of her limbs, however, when she found herself soaring through the air. The young woman held both hands up to her right, attempting to use wind pressure to her advantage, and thank Martel she succeeded, turning her frame little under 90 degrees so she was coming at the ground head-on. Somehow, due to some miracle, she managed to land on her feet, though the sheer momentum forced her to her knees, then to rest on her hands as well. Two hazel eyes blinked in shock… And then she laughed once more. Clear, pure laughter. It had been so long since she'd been allowed the privilege of having fun. In Mizuho, everything had been so strict, so old fashioned. She could barely laugh without many condescending glares thrown her way... This little adventure was so insignificant compared to the others as of late, yet so much better for her soul. _Live, Laugh, Love…_

"Though the slide was absolutely perfect, your landing needs work." Commented a certain redhead, though it earned him no smack or even a little glare. On the contrary, Sheena was still smiling when she turned to him, unfazed by his teasing. So, being Zelos, he continued. "I'm sorry, but your job description reads 'depressed, easily angered, violent, demonic banshee'. In no part of that does it give you permission to smile."

"It was my first offense." The 'banshee' put on the face of one pleading innocent before one like the king, complete with wide eyes, and they both laughed a few moments more.

"Sad but true. But wait a moment... Your first offense, what sort of punishment does that deserve?" He feigned contemplation, and the summoner's eyes widened. She knew he was going to demand something she didn't want to give, though how much he was to demand was still unknown. "As punishment for your crime, you owe me… One kiss." He smirked. '_There's no way to get out of this one, my dear Sheena!'_ He thought gleefully.

"No." Okay, maybe she _could_ get out of it. The redhead frowned, disappointed to lose so easily. At his frown, the ninja shook her head. "Not going to happen. I do not, nor will I ever, intend to kiss you."

"Don't do the crime if you can't be a mime." He shrugged, blissfully unaware of how badly he'd butchered the saying he'd intended.

"Don't you mean 'do the time'?" Sheena offered.

"Heh, something like that."

"Zelos, you never cease to amaze me." She stated, but as he opened his mouth to reply she cut him off. "No, not like _that_, get your mind out of the gutter! What's your IQ, like six?"

"It can't be." He stated, with his familiar 'I-know-something-you-don't' grin.

"And why not?" Questioned the ninja, though she knew full well that something stupid like 'because I'm too pretty to be that smart' would result.

"Because it takes nine IQ to grunt. And I can grunt. See?" With this he made a sound that somewhat resembled a grunt. After a moment of silence, the both of them burst out laughing. "Seriously though, you need a lot of work on your landing skills." He teased, striding over to Sheena and offering a hand to help her up. She took it, for without it, the knees she so clumsily landed on would likely not unfold. Even after she'd risen fully, it took a moment of leaning heavily on the Chosen's arm to right herself, at which point she hastily dusted herself off and re-adjusted her robe so it hung straight once more.

The day went on in rather the same manner, though a bit less exciting. What happened doesn't truly matter, and you'd likely be bored hearing of it all. What matters is, Zelos managed not to screw up and Sheena didn't rip his head off, or even feel the urge to. When night fell, they parted, the ninja to her room and the Chosen to his.

"The offer's still open." Suggested the redhead, but the summoner merely chuckled slightly and shook her head.

"And I still say no. Goodnight, Zelos." With this she turned and entered her room, closing the door softly behind her. Zelos didn't move, however, not at first. Only when he heard the slow, steady breathing of the ninja's sleep did he budge.

"Goodnight, Sheena." He softly spoke, and with that, Zelos tiptoed back to his room and crawled into his nice, soft bed. Yet Sheena's eyes were still open, for she had not fallen asleep so easily. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the young woman was completely and totally alone. No faint whispered breath sounded nearby, no shufflings as her traveling companion of sorts shifted in his sleep. This unnerved the ninja slightly… As much as she wanted to deny it, the most comforting thing right then would be the redhead's presence nearby. So when she heard his voice, whispered through her wooden door, a smile came to her lips. '_No, I'm not truly alone... And if things continue as they are, I never will be again.'_

_( Aww... Hehe. I hope you liked it. Mree.)_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_(Hehe, not much to say in this chapter's note... Thanks again for all of you who've reviewed, and… yeah, on to the fic I guess.)_

The sun rose slowly, silhouetting the buildings of Meltokio in it's radiant glow. Those of the city were slowly starting to awaken, to leave their houses, to fill the streets with their hustle and bustle. But one young woman wasn't among them. If you were to peep into the window of the Chosen's mansion, you'd see a raven-haired ninja, still fast asleep among the soft blankets and the cloudlike mattress of her bed. She'd stay that way for a few hours yet, until the sun's bright rays crept in through her window and shed light upon her face.

Two hazel eyes opened, to immediately be squinted once more at the bright light that had awoken her. A hand flew up to shield her eyes, and they widened once more in the newfound shade. For a moment, the summoner wondered where she was. But then she remembered. '_I'm at Zelos's place...'_ She recalled. As much as she would have enjoyed falling back asleep in the warm, welcoming embrace of her blankets, the sun wouldn't let her. It intended to keep on shining, no matter what she felt or wanted. Sheena glared it's way, only earning her a moment's blindness in return.

"Alright, alright. I'll get up. Sheesh." She grumbled, sliding her bare feet over the edge of the bed and onto the carpeted door. Slightly plaintive at the loss of her warm bed, the young woman tiptoed down the hall to the bathroom, careful not to wake Zelos. '_If I do, he'll be in here in a heartbeat. That pervert wouldn't miss a peep-show opportunity.'_ Snatching a towel from the bathroom cupboard and throwing it to hang over the edge of the shower, the ninja stripped off her robe and slowly climbed in. The water was hot, very much so. Sheena could barely suppress a yelp of surprise as she placed a foot into the steady stream. Hastily adjusting the temperature, she cooled it to only moderately warm before stepping in all the way. Only then did she slowly raise the temperature once more, finding a degree that she liked and standing a moment to bask in the warmth. So long she'd bathed in rivers, lakes, and waterfalls, the young woman didn't intend to miss this chance to savor warm water once more. And so she went on with her shower.

A full half hour later, the water snapped off. The towel was slid from over the shower door, and she proceeded to wind it around her form, fitting at the height of a sleeveless top and going down to just above her knees. Her hair hung wet at her shoulders, for she hadn't bothered to bun it quite yet. '_Nobody is gonna see me like this anyways, so does it matter?'_ She proceeded to tiptoe down the hall, then down the many flights of stairs to ground level once more. If there was one thing she'd needed more than a good shower, it was a good breakfast. Stepping lightly into the kitchen, the ninja reached for the handle to the food pantry.

"Good morning, my voluptuous hunny! Might I say that you're looking _especially_ voluptuous this morning?" That voice froze her in her tracks. Her eyes widened, like a bird in the headlights of a Rhieard. Thank god she was facing the wall, else the redhead would have seen her petrified look. '_I'm in a towel, with my hair down, and Zelos is here to see it. Oh. Shit.'_ She didn't know why, but having him see her with her hair down was almost as revealing as him seeing her in just the towel. It had always been that way. After a moment of standing there frozen to the spot, she turned slowly to face him.

"How long have you been there?" She asked icily, her arms protectively crossed over her chest, though even if they hadn't been, he couldn't have seen anything anyways.

"All morning!" He replied cheerily, obviously glad to have seen her in less than her usual attire.

"All… morning? What time is it?" She questioned. Surely it wasn't TOO late.

"Nearly eleven!" He replied again, still cheerily. The ninja's eyes widened once more. '_Nearly eleven? That means I slept 'till ten-fifteen!'_ Never before had she slept so late. Usually her internal clock woke her up at somewhere around six, but not today. '_Stupid internal clock.'_ She cursed it mentally, before turning back to the food cupboard. Just then, the doorbell rang. With a dance-leap of glee, the redhead raced in to answer it. Soon after, she heard his voice greet, "Why hello, my Ultra Cool Beauty! And my Little Angel! Oh, and the brat too." Sheena gasped slightly and dropped the her bagel back on the table, making haste to the stairs. It was bad enough that Zelos had seen her, she wasn't going to have the whole team coming in on her in a towel with her hair down.

When she returned downstairs once more, fully robed with her hair in the usual messy bun, they were all seated around the table where she had left her bagel, though the half-eaten breakfast was no longer there. Zelos, who was seated on the opposite side of the table as the stairs, saw her first.

"Welcome back, my voluptuous hunny." He beamed, a look that told Sheena that she was the topic of their previous discussions. He shot an 'I told you so' look to Genis, who turned to look at the ninja as well, followed by Raine and Colette.

"Hi, Sheena!" Colette smiled, and the summoner smiled in return.

"Greetings, Sheena. This was the last place we expected to find _you_." Raine noted, causing a light blush to spread on the young woman's cheeks.

"Honestly, it's the last place I'd have expected to find me too." She stated dryly, before leaning against the kitchen counter what would be between Raine and Colette.

"What brings you here, anyways?" The Professor questioned, and Sheena looked to the redhead in disbelief. He hadn't told them? '_He was probably like 'I've got Sheena half-naked upstairs!' and that's all he told them. Idiot Chosen. I might as well fill them in, right?'_

"Mizuho is destroyed. We're after the guy who did it." She droned, for after telling it so many times it was more like a well-rehearsed line. All but the redhead sat in silence with rounded eyes, in shock of what they'd just heard.

"Mizuho? All of it? One guy destroyed it _all_?" Genis objected in disbelief.

"Well, _no_, he has men. Lots of men…" Sheena trailed off, shuddering slightly as she remembered what had happened to her arm. Colette placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. The ninja turned to the angel, smiling slightly. Colette had always been there to comfort her when she was sad. Of course, so was Zelos, but in his own strange, idiotic way.

"Lloyd is on his way back to Iselia, Colette. We talked to him the day before yesterday in Altamira." Zelos informed, attempting to lighten the mood. The summoner shot him a grateful glance, and he smiled slightly. Colette smiled as well, though in response to his words, not his purpose behind them.

"Oh really? I can't wait to see him!" She giggled. Raine smiled warmly at her enthusiasm.

"So how've you two been?" The raven-haired young woman asked the Sages.

"Pretty good!" Answered Genis, eager to become part of the conversation. "We live in Sybak now."

"Yes, Lloyd told us. How do you like it?"

"Good, I guess, though I still kinda miss Lloyd and Iselia." Genis looked downcast for a moment, and Sheena nodded knowingly.

"After being together constantly for so long, it's hard for all of us to just split up." She agreed, though only afterward did she notice the second meaning. Her hazel eyes glanced to Zelos, who was looking to her as well. He'd caught it too. After a pause, Zelos slid back his chair.

"Sorry to ruin this lovely reunion, but I have to run to the market for a moment. I need to stock up on ingredients, if I'm going to make a dinner-ah-la-gourmet for my guests." With this, the Chosen rose from his seat, stepping out into the main hall and making a lighthearted play-bow on the way out. Shortly after, they heard the main door open and close. Immediately, three pairs of eyes turned to Sheena.

"You've already explained your reason for being in Meltokio, but never your reason for being _here,_ in Zelos's mansion. When the group parted ways, you were… quite angry with him, to say the least." Raine pried, though in an almost unnoticeable way that only the Professor has managed to perfect.

"Well, I don't exactly know. He showed up when I was just starting my journey, and we've been traveling together ever since." The ninja stated nonchalantly.

"And you just let him come with you?" It was Genis's turn to question her. She turned slightly red.

"It's not like I had a choice. He can get really annoying, when he wants to." Now she was getting defensive.

"And when he _doesn't_ want to." Grumbled Genis, earning him a smack upside the head from his sister.

"He's not _that_ bad!" For some reason, she found herself defending that idiot.

"Calm down, Sheena. We're not trying to blame you for anything, we're just curious." Colette soothed. After a moment, Sheena heaved a deep breath.

"Like I said before: After being together constantly for so long, it's hard for us to split up." She offered, in answer to their first question. "Besides, he's not as perverted as he used to be. I think he's actually _trying_."

A smirk slowly appeared on the young boy's face.

"You like him." Genis stated, earning a wide-eyed stare from Sheena.

"What! I-… He-… No I don't!" She yelped, fumbling with her words at first, still shocked at his declaration.

"Ooh, I see now. Sheena, I think you _do_ like him!" Colette giggled, excited for her friend.

"No! How could anyone like that-… that-…" But she couldn't think of anything to call him. It didn't bring her the same satisfaction as it used to. She sighed. "If I did, what then? Nothing. It wouldn't work. So I don't see what you intend to prove by deciding I like him anyways."

"If it's meant to be, things always work out." Raine offered, her eyes smiling.

"It's not meant to be. It can't be. It just can't." She decided softly, more to reassure herself than them. No, she can't like him. Not like _that._ '_To love is to give someone the ability to shatter you completely, but to trust them not to... I'm not ready for that, not yet. Whenever I trust, something bad comes of it.'_ But it was too late, for even as the ninja denied it, she knew that she trusted him more than anyone she knew. Just then, however, the door burst open once more.

"I've returned with the ingredients, fair maidens!" Zelos declared, either ignoring Genis's presence or including him in the 'fair maidens' just to spite him. The young elf growled slightly, but at Raine's silencing look, he stopped at that. "Everyone, into the living room! I want this dinner to be a _surprise_."

At his request, the other four cleared out, stepping through a door to their right and entering a well-decorated room with couches and such scattered all about. The rest of the afternoon was spent many ways. At one, you'd find Raine seated on the couch nearest the bookshelf, eagerly immersed in a book, Sheena and Colette catching up on the occurrences since they'd last seen each other, and Genis attempting to listen, but growing bored of the 'girl talk' and playing with his kendama. At three, you'd find Raine still immersed in a book, Genis resting on the same couch with his head on her lap, and Sheena and Colette wandering about the room, admiring all the art and such that littered the walls and various other places. At five, Raine was _still_ immersed in the book, Sheena and Colette were sitting beside her, attempting to make sense of what she was reading, and Genis was firing small decorative pebbles from one of the flowerpots at their heads. This five-o-clock scene was what Zelos Wilder walked in on at 5:07, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Dinner is served." He beamed, and the others rose immediately, curious as to how good the redheaded Chosen could actually cook, having never been forced to do so before while he lived his life of luxury. What greeted them in the kitchen made them all wide-eyed with surprise. The entire table was filled with absolutely amazing-looking food, and the smells weren't any worse. In a sort of trance, the four sat down at the table, barely able to resist the tantalizing smells.

"This looks wonderful!" Raine commented, though she resisted the urge to taste it.

"Well what are you guys waiting for? Dig in!" And they did just that. Never had a meal tasted so good to any of them, especially Genis, for he'd lived on Raine's cooking for far longer than was healthy. Even when they had all finished, none of them spoke as the allowed their food to settle. It was one of the biggest meals any of them had had in as long as they could remember.

"Thank you, Zelos." Sheena softly acknowledged, followed by murmurs of gratitude from the other three as well, too stuffed to say it any louder.

"Anything for my favoritest hunnies." He replied, still ignoring/insulting Genis. Sheena snorted softly in distaste, too softly to be heard by anyone but herself… Yet the other three looked at her anyways, each knowing how she felt to some degree. '_Oh, so I'm just another one of his 'favoritest hunnies'? That makes me feel so _special_.'_ She grumbled inwardly. The moment was so awkward that even Zelos noticed it, and he looked around at them questioningly, unaware of Sheena's snort or her inward grumblings. Raine was the one who decided to break the silence, sliding her chair back and rising from the table.

"Thank you for making us dinner and such, but we really must be going. Genis and I, at least." She stated, grabbing her brother by the collar of his shirt when he whined a complaint.

"No, I'll go with you guys." Colette reassured, rising as well. "Thanks, Zelos! See you later, Sheena! Good luck on your quest!"

"Yeah, good luck! Go kick some bad guy ass for me, kay?" Genis piped in, earning yet another smack upside the head from his sister for using somewhat undesirable language. Zelos sniggered slightly, but Sheena nodded.

"Don't worry. We intend to." There was something ominous in her voice, and at that moment not a soul in the room wanted to be on _her_ bad side.

"Be careful, my Ultra-Cool Beauty! You too, my Little Angel!" Zelos called as they left the room. "And if you _accidentally_ dump the little one off the Rhieard, it won't take me too long to recover from my sadness!"

Sheena laughed slightly. '_Some things never change.'_

_(Yes, it's quick, but I wanted to get to the next one soon. It's the climax. Mwahaha. )_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_(Here's the chappie you've all been waiting for. Well, one of them. There are going to be 20 chapters in this fic, but this is the how-Zelos-is-involved chappie, not the Kage-gets-his-ass-kicked chappie.. By the way, the outfit Sheena describes is her formal outfit from the game, for future reference.)_

It had been a few days since the Sylvarant portion of the Chosen's Group had stopped by. Each day that passed, Sheena felt more and more at home. Sure, Zelos's many floozies plotted to murder her in her sleep. Sure, every eye turned to her was cynical. Sure, the shopkeepers doubled their prices for her to discourage her patronage. But she was free. Though part of the day was still spent indoors with Zelos, she was exploring more and more of the Imperial City. She'd given food to the poor folk in the Slums, explored nearly every shop in the city, even snuck into the castle to view a wedding of one of the nobles. For a while, she almost wished she could _stay_ there, not worry about Kage and his thugs… But that would be suicide. Complete and total suicide. And, it would get Zelos and the people of Meltokio killed as well. So she knew she had to go. '_Just one more day,'_ she kept telling herself. '_Just one more day.'_

On that particular day, she was stepping softly down the main street, gazing into the shop windows at the many items on display. She came to halt in front of a particular store, one she'd often come to gaze in on. The formal attire store. The gowns, they were so _beautiful_… Yet not on her. No, never on her. She refused to even _think_ of it. She couldn't afford it, even if she wanted it.

"Sheena! SHEENA!" Suddenly a familiar voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to face the oncoming redhead, who was waving something in the air as he jogged. He halted before her, catching his breath a moment before explaining himself. "Whew, I thought I wouldn't find you in time. The princess has found a suitor!" The Chosen declared, more gleefully than his words explained. The ninja blinked.

"And this is important because-?"

"Oh, Sheena, don't you know _anything_? Whenever something like this happens, the King gets all excited and throws a royal ball. We're invited! Well, _I'm_ invited, but of course you'll come too. See, look, it says '_Zelos,-_"

"Wait a second. What do you mean, 'of course I'll come too'? What if I won't?" She cut him off, making her statement defiantly. Zelos's face fell slightly.

"Well… You will, won't you?" He asked, slightly nervous. "Please, Sheena? Don't make me beg." Sheena contemplated how amusing it would be to make him beg, before deciding he didn't deserve that humiliation just yet.

"You have to _ask me_ first." She teased, a smile fighting to overcome her serious mask.

"Really? Okay, here goes…" The redhead cleared his throat. "Will you, Sheena Fujibayashi, accompany me to the royal ball?" Sheena allowed the smile through, nodding.

"Yes." She stated simply, and Zelos whooped slightly in triumph. Laughing nervously, the Chosen waited 'till everybody had stopped staring before continuing his victory dance, silently this time. "But it's NOT a date." She demanded, and he nodded.

"If you say it's not, it isn't." He agreed, unwilling to push his luck.

"Good. So when is it?"

"Tonight!"

"TONIGHT?" She yelped, and now it was _her_ turn to attract stares.

"Is that a problem, my voluptuous hunny?"

"Hell yes it is! I have nothing to _wear_!" Through fights and plights, the ninja stayed calm. Yet when she was going to an important social event and had nothing to wear, she went into a near hysteric state.

"No, calm down. It's all taken care of." He winked, making the ninja wonder what he had planned. She'd learned not to question the redhead, however, for he did it regardless of her opinion, and it was usually better to panic LATER when she found out, rather than find out now and panic about it _until_ then. It saved her a few hours worth of panicking, that way. Which was good.

"So what exactly is this ball going to involve?" She questioned, changing the subject.

"Let me read the invitation." He requested, before opening it once more. "It reads: _Chosen One, I am pleased to inform you that our Princess Hilda has found a suitor. A royal ball will be held in their honor. Being the Chosen, you are expected to dance the first dance. Bring a partner, formal clothes required. Sincerely, His Royal Highness, the King._"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did I hear you properly? 'dance the first dance'? Sorry, but I don't dance." Sheena declared, crossing her arms.

"Why not? It's fun!"

"Fun as it may be, I don't dance."

"Again, why not?"

"Because… I don't exactly… know how…" She murmured, somewhat embarrassed. "For a ninja, learning to dance is almost a joke. There are a lifetime of other things to teach other than dancing, so they rarely waste their time."

"You don't know how to dance?" The Chosen repeated incredulously, only making her turn slightly red in embarrassment and mumble something incoherent. "Sheena, Sheena, Sheena. Whatever will I do with you?"

"Nothing that involves touching, or I'll cut off the limb you touched me with." The ninja threatened.

"But dancing is all _about_ touching, my voluptuous hunny! Though not in an uncomfortable way."

"Fine, I'll rephrase. Nothing that involves touching me _inappropriately_, or I'll cut off the limb you used to touch me with."

"So you're saying you'll dance?" Questioned Zelos, wide-eyed in surprise.

"I'm saying I'll try."

----

The time passed quickly from that moment 'till the hour before the ball. Surprisingly, the two practiced no dancing. 'You're a ninja, aren't you? Dancing will come as naturally to you as fighting. Just watch, you'll see.' Those were the words Zelos had used. The ninja had merely nodded; why argue? He was the one to be embarrassed if she messed up. She idled the time away, doing close to nothing the whole time. For the entirety of an hour, Sheena had sat on an ivory bench in the garden, twirling a flower by the stem and watching the petals as they whirled in circles. In fact, that was where she was when a pair of strong hands covered her eyes. She opened her mouth to scream in surprise, but before she could a voice was softly speaking in her ear.

"Shh, it's just me. Come with me, it's a _surprise_." So she followed his lead, though it was slightly unnerving to be unable to see where she was going, to be at such mercy to another. Still, she trusted Zelos, so she followed his directions left and right. At last, they came to a stop. "We're here!" He declared, and uncovered Sheena's eyes. They were in the formal attire store… She gasped in surprise. Before her was a shirt made entirely of burgundy silk, which wound elegantly around one's frame in just the right spots, tied in the back, and two tails hung down, just as they did now with her pink ribbon. It came down to her lower thigh, and it met a pair of long, flowing, navy blue pants. Burgundy heels were the footwear, and three bracelets were there to accent her bare arms. She was completely and totally speechless. For a while, at least.

"Zelos, it's…." She was at loss for words. How much did this cost? A small fortune, it must have. The shirt was pure silk! The pants seemed to _glow_ in radiance with whatever material they were made of, and the bracelets appeared solid gold. Zelos, however, was unsure of whether she loved it or hated it.

"You don't have to wear it, if you don't want to." He quietly offered, slightly dispirited. The ninja was confused a moment before she realized what he was thinking. She laughed softly at the misunderstanding.

"No, Zelos, it's _perfect_!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around the Chosen's neck in her excitement. As soon as she realized what she was doing, however, she withdrew them, and they both shuffled awkwardly for a moment before the shopkeeper came out from the back rooms. She was a stout woman with a kind face, the only shopkeeper in Meltokio who didn't seem to dislike Sheena to some degree.

"Now shoo, you! Me and Miss Sheena have some work to do, before she can join you at the ball!" The woman made shooing motions toward Zelos, though her eyes were smiling. He yelped in mock-fear and, shooting one last grin at the summoner, made haste out the door. The woman turned to Sheena. "My name is Rose. You're a lucky woman, miss Sheena. Most women would give their left arm to go to the ball. Of course, most of the women in the nobles' court seem to be sharing a community brain, so that's not saying much. But you didn't hear me say that, else the King could have my head."

"Don't worry, I agree with you a hundred and ten percent. Zelos only had to talk to me _once_ before they had me on their death list." Sheena grumbled, glad to have someone at last who shared her views on the Chosen's 'followers'.

"Yes, well watch out for that group. It doesn't take a brain to hire an assassin, and those women are pretty enough to hire one for free, if they promise certain _things_ in return. All I'm saying is, don't provoke them more than necessary." Rose advised, and Sheena nodded. "Now as much as I'd like to sit around and chat, we have work to do. We have to make sure that outfit fits you properly, we have to do your hair and makeup, and we have less than an hour to do it. Are you ready?"

"Bring it on."

----

For the good part of an hour, the ninja had sat perfectly still and allowed the kind shopkeeper to fix her hair and apply some makeup. Though, the ninja admitted, it was worth it. She practically _glowed_, in the lights of the formal attire shop. She could scarcely imagine what she'd look like in the ballroom. For the good part of an hour, she'd been still. Now, she couldn't be still if her life depended on it. Fully outfitted in her formal attire, she paced and paced outside one of the ballroom's side door. Rose was there, though only because she was Sheena's aid for the moment, and she wouldn't be attending the ball.

"Quit pacing like that, Sheena! You look _fine_. There's nothing to worry about!" She attempted to reassure the ninja, yet her heel-clad feet would not be stilled. The plump woman sighed, and continued on. "Custom is, you aren't to see the Chosen One until the dance. He will be announced, and then you will. The doors will open, and you walk in and dance. Simple enough?" The young woman nodded, unable to trust her voice at the moment. On the outside, she was nervous. On the inside, she was absolutely, completely, and totally petrified. '_What if I forget to go? What if I trip? What if I step on his feet? What if I seem scared to the people? What if dance _doesn't _come natural, like Zelos said? What if I make a fool of us both? What if my shirt unties in front of everyone?'_ Suddenly, a voice blared from the other side of the tall wooden door.

"Gracing us with his presence tonight is the Chosen of Mana, Zelos Wilder!" There was a pause. "Introducing his partner, Sheena Fujibayashi of Mizuho!" In the moments that followed, nothing short of sheer and utter panic swept through the summoner's mind. Then the doors swung open, and the lights of the ballroom set her attire aglow. All signs of panic washed away, replaced with an amazing calm. The sort of calm you feel when you've accepted that you're to die, so why waste your last moments panicking? Step by step, she walked toward the center of the ballroom. The crowd parted before her, murmuring in awe. Was that the same scruffy ninja they'd seen on the streets? The one they'd held distaste for ever since her arrival? It couldn't be, for this was no ninja. This was a _goddess_. Or so she appeared.

An eternity passed, step by step, as the young woman stepped toward the center of the ballroom. Her eyes were fixed on her dance partner, for she feared that if she looked at the crowds, her nerve would fade. And his cerulean eyes were fixed on hers. They held a mix of awe, amazement, and reassurance, all at once. At that moment, she knew things would be fine.

At last she made it to the place she was to dance. From seeing others dance, she knew basically how to start. Slowly reaching up, she wrapped her arms around the Chosen's neck, and soon felt his hands resting at her waist. This was it. Anyone who mattered to the royal family was here, in this ballroom… with their eyes fixed on her. Then the music started.

It was slow at first, thankfully, though little did she know that he had requested it that way. He guided, and she followed… Once again, Zelos was right. It _did_ come naturally. She found herself dancing with an ease even _he'd _never imagined she'd have. But it was simple, really. It was just like a battle. You react to your opponent, moving when they move, stopping when they stop. They go left, so do you. Or you go right, to sweep into a turn. Simple. Soon the music sped up, but Sheena was ready. And so they danced, though not alone for long. Soon other noble couples joined them, and it wasn't long before the entire dance floor was filled with twirling, weaving couples.

Sheena scarcely noticed the others, however. She was in her own little world of Sheena and Zelos. And for the first time, so was he. No other hunnies caught his eye; he didn't even _notice_ them. It was just him and Sheena, dancing… As he'd always wanted it to be. For as much as he flirted with the women he encountered, it was always Sheena he'd wanted. She was the only one who'd resisted, though. The only one who _didn't want him back_. And that's part of what he liked about her. That she didn't care who he was or what rank he held, she'd hate him or like him however she chose. But deep inside him, he felt a stab of guilt, always there. '_No, not now. Please, just let me enjoy these last few hours.'_ And so he did. Near the end of the dance found them dancing still, though the music had slowed. Sheena's head was rested on his lower shoulder area, and she was completely content. But then he stopped, stepping away from the ninja. She looked at him questioningly, unsure of what had brought a halt to their dancing… The redhead looked around, making sure none were watching, yet all the other couples were still immersed in their dance. They wouldn't notice if one couple left, even if it were one as important as the Chosen's. He smiled, grabbed her hand, and led her toward the door. Once more, she followed. They slowly let themselves out through one of the less gargantuan doors, and soon found themselves out in the cool night air.

"I never did like crowds…" The Zelos offered in explanation, and the young woman nodded in agreement. He led her to the benches in front of the church and sat down upon one, soon followed by his dance partner. She noticed that their hands were still intertwined, yet for the first time, she made no move to separate them. He looked up to the stars. "The night sky is beautiful, isn't it?" Sheena then did what she never in a million years expected she'd do. She slowly leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, gazing up at the stars as well.

"Yes, it is." She agreed softly.

Suddenly, that pang of guilt returned to the Chosen, worse than before. And as he gazed up at the stars, a scene he wished to forget replayed before him.

_The room was dark... Too dark. He couldn't see a thing, even with his heightened senses. And he couldn't very well turn on a light either, seeing as his wrists were bound behind his back and his legs were bound to the chair he sat on. Two men had ambushed him, caught him, and with the element of surprise they'd knocked him unconscious. He'd woken up here, tied to a chair. And for hours he'd sat there, waiting for something to happen. At long last, a door creaked open, and a light flashed on. He was in a shack of some sort, though it wasn't suitable for living in, not by a long shot. Three men stood before him; the two he'd been ambushed by, and another. This one was far bigger, with brown hair and an extremely muscular build. _

"_Welcome, Chosen One." The buff man greeted, his voice smooth and sly, though slightly mocking when he repeated his captive's title. _

"_Who the hell are you?" Demanded Zelos, glaring fiercely at the man who'd obviously ordered his capture._

"_Kage, if you must know. Though one in your situation has no room to be demanding." He informed, his voice continuing to mock the Chosen. Zelos growled slightly under his breath, but there was nothing he could do. _

"_What do you want with me?" He once more demanded, though not as harshly as before. "Have you come to kill me?"_

"_No no no, you have it all wrong. We're not here to kill you, or even to harm you. We just want a simple bit of information." He stated. The redhead eyed Kage suspiciously._

"_That's all? Information?" He questioned disbelievingly._

"_That's all." Confirmed Kage, well aware that his trap was working._

"_Ask away."_

"_What is the location of the ninja culture called Mizuho?" Demanded the brunette, and Zelos's eyes widened. Of all things this Kage guy could have asked, it had to be the one thing the redhead couldn't tell!_

"_That information is classified, and no amount of torture will get it out of me." Stated the redhead defiantly, and the man to Kage's right hissed in frustration._

"_I understand. Though I have a little something that may… _help _you reconsider." With this he reached into his belt and pulled from it a mirror. In this mirror was Sheena, sitting on a rock by a river. Zelos gasped in surprise._

"_Sheena!" He cried out softly, and Kage smirked, knowing he'd found his leverage. _

"_I have her surrounded by three men. I can give the signal, and within seconds she'll be as dead as the dragons she was out hunting. So make your choice. Mizuho, or your little ninja girl." _

_Zelos knew he was trapped. He couldn't let Sheena be killed. After what seemed like forever's silence, he spoke once more._

"_Mizuho is in a valley of sorts, through the Gaoracchia Forest. Just leave Sheena out of it." He rasped in defeat. _

"_Thank you, _Chosen One_. You've been a great help to us today. My men will hold your name highly." Kage replied, knowing fully well that those words would make it worse. With that, he cut the redhead's binds, and Zelos raced free of the shack, full speed for Mizuho. Kage had Rhieards, so Zelos wouldn't make it in time to save Mizuho. But he had to be there to make sure they didn't touch Sheena._

"Sheena, I have something to tell you." The words were out of his mouth before he was even fully back to reality. She lifted her head from his shoulder, gazing at him somewhat questioningly.

"Yes?" The ninja prompted. Zelos took a deep breath, praying for the best.

"The source that those men were talking about, the one that told Kage the village's location was… me." He spoke his last word softly, but it had the same effect as if he'd screamed it. Her hand was ripped from his, and she leaped to her feet, staring down at him in horror.

"I _trusted_ you!" She cried, backing up, the horrified look ever-present. "No!" She murmured, nearly too shocked to believe it.

"Sheena, I-"

"NO!"

"Sheena, _please_!"

"NOOO!" With each word spoken, she backed up more and more, horror-struck and wishing to be far away from the man who was responsible for the death of her comrades.

"Wait! Sheena!" His voice held a desperation like no other, and he rose to his feet, stepping to close the gap between them once more. Sheena only stumbled backwards faster.

"Get away from me!" She cried. He stepped closer once more.

"Sheena…" His voice was weak, for he'd given up hope that she would return to him. He'd already lost, lost it all.

"I _hate _you!" She spat with tears in her eyes. And with that she whirled and raced off down the street, blinded by her own tears, yet wanting as far away from that spot, and that man, as possible.

Zelos watched her leave, staring forlornly at her retreating back as a single tear crept down his cheek.

_(Oh my god. I nearly cried. –falls over- I've been planning this for so long, but it still makes me so sad to write it.)_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_(-sob- That was so SAD! I'm still feeling bad for them... Heh, aren't I pathetic?)_

So she ran. She ran and didn't look back. Which was too bad, for if she had taken one last look, seen the unmistakable distress in his eyes, she may have hesitated to run. She may have seen how much he truly cared, and stopped long enough to speak to him once more. Yet she didn't look back, _couldn't_ look back. For if she did, she knew that the pain she was trying to escape would come crashing down upon her, sending her to her knees right there. And that couldn't happen. No, she needed out of that city, away from everything to do with Zelos and the time they'd shared.

She didn't know how far she ran… All she knew was that she couldn't stop. In a sense, she was running from her problems… But it was far more than that. Far deeper. An hour or so passed before her gasping lungs and searing calves forced her to halt. She started to slow, but stumbled and fell to her knees in exhaustion. For the moment, the only thought in her mind was the extreme fatigue that engulfed her. But she was a ninja, and in top physical shape, so it was a matter of minutes before she was breathing normal once more. Immediately, a sharp pain stabbed at her chest. Yet it was no open wound… No, these wounds were the sort that would never be seen, and would never truly close. The events of the day seemed an eternity ago, yet they replayed in her mind like it had been mere moments past. '_I trusted him! I put my life in his hands, I danced with him, I hugged him, I _loved _him! Stupid, stupid Sheena! How could I have let my guard down?'_ These thoughts raced through her head as the tears flowed steadily down her cheeks.

A cold wind rushed through the grasses, and it sent a shiver down the summoner's spine. It was then that she remembered that her ninja outfit, as well as all her supplies save for Conicere, were still at the Chosen's house. '_There's no force in Tethe'alla that would get me back there. None.'_ She thought with resolve, far stronger than she felt. Sheena felt the polar opposite of 'strong' right then… She felt that she could barely stay upright on her hands and knees, that she was just short of a complete and total breakdown, that she'd never felt so awful in her life. '_Love is giving someone the ability to shatter you completely, and trusting them not to.'_ So many times had that saying haunted her in the past few days… Now she knew what it meant.

For many years she'd refused to trust another even close to that degree, yet he'd marched into her life, pestered her a bit, and in two weeks she'd trusted him more than anyone else in the world. '_How could I have been so stupid?' _She cried, though the words never left her mouth. She'd trusted him, and he'd shattered her. The ninja knew she'd never trust again. '_Screw trust, I'll be happy if I never _breathe _again…I just want to curl up and die, escape this misery…Y'know what? I hate myself for it, but… as much as I hate him, I miss him so much…'_ With this, she could hold it in no longer. Her limbs collapsed from under her, and she lay on the grass, sobs racking her frame. No longer did she hold the silent strength that many times she'd been praised for. Even when her entire village had been massacred, she'd never felt so completely and totally miserable. No, miserable didn't even begin to describe how she felt. Miserable sounded like a tea party, compared to how she felt. And as the wind picked up, it didn't seem to her like it was going to get any better.

So she lay and cried. For how long, not even Sheena knew. A light rain had picked up, the droplets streaking down through the night sky and bouncing off her bare arms and her cheek. She made no response, however… By now, she was beyond caring. Even as her tears were unnoticeable among the many droplets on her cheek and face, she made no response. Even if lightning struck her fallen frame, it was unlikely that she'd react. She just laid there, attempting to asphyxiate in her grief, and wishing she could feel his warm embrace once more.

So unresponsive was she that, even when five pairs of footsteps were heard, drawing nearer and nearer, the ninja didn't even open her hazel eyes. If she was lucky, they'd leave her be. Or if she was luckier, they'd kill her then and there. Yet when the footsteps halted behind her, she felt no pain. No knife or magic stabbing into her back or neck. But when a familiar voice spoke, she knew what was going to come was worse than either.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged out. Out away from her _lover boy_ in the city of pricks and floozies." Mocked a voice that could belong to no one other than Kage. At his last sentence, however, Sheena moved for the first time in hours. Though it was little more than a flinch away from his cruel-but-true words, it was something that connected her to the land of the living. Obviously the rain had shielded her movement from the muscular man towering over her, however, for his voice rang out once more a moment later. "Is it even _alive?_"

"Prod 'er with your foot, boss, then we'll find out." Another oh-so-familiar voice rung out. _Tor, from Sybak._

"Don't tell me what to do, you pathetic fool!" Snapped Kage, though he proceeded to jab her harshly in the back once or twice as Tor had suggested. At her gasp of pain, he smirked. "So we finally capture the infamous Sheena Fujibayashi. If I'd have known what a pest she'd be to obtain, I wouldn't have spared her, promise or no. But alas, what's done is done."

If the ninja had been paying any semblance of attention, or if she'd been more than a shell of her former self, she'd have caught the 'promise or no' and realized what they'd done to the Chosen to force his betrayal. But after that unexpected stab at her emotions previously, she'd succeeded in blocking out what was said around her, unwilling to hear whatever they had to say. Besides, even if she _had_ caught it, in the state of inner-chaos that she was in, what were the odds she'd have understood?

The summoner soon felt herself being lifted into the air and slung roughly over a massive shoulder. Yet she no longer had it in her to fight against him. The easier she went, the sooner would come her long-awaited release… And she could join the rest of Mizuho once more.

_( I dunno. I'm kinda on writers block. I know what I want to write, but I just can't force it out. Sorry for that uber shitteh chapter.)_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_(Not sure how this one'll turn out. Good, I hope. Tis Zelos. Mwahaha?)_

Even after the raven-haired ninja had disappeared from sight, Zelos watched the stairway down which she fled. Partially because he was in shock. Partially because he was miserable, and misery numbs the mind to most else. And partially because he held a small inkling of hope that, just maybe, she might come back up those steps and sit by him once more. Yet deep down, he knew she wouldn't. Deep down, he knew he'd crossed the line, the one that separated little mess-ups from big ones. Deep down, he knew that this was one thing he couldn't undo. Every mistake he'd made up 'till then, he'd worried she'd leave, yet he'd known she wouldn't. Now… the redhead didn't know what he knew anymore.

All through the night he sat, his gaze never leaving that stairway. The ball ended and the nobles passed by, yet the power of his grief and anguish was nearly a physical deterrent, so the closest any of them came to their poor, heart-wrenched Chosen was a worried glance on the way by. It was for the better though… If anything had brought him from his trance-like state of mourning, he may well have burst into a full-on tear fest. As it was, the only tear shed was that single silver drop as she'd turned her back on him for the final time. And this time, she'd meant it. Really, truly, honest-to-Martel meant it.

"_I _hate _you!" She spat with tears in her eyes._

Those last few moments replayed in his head, as real as when it had actually happened. She'd said she hated him, and she'd meant it. Really, truly, honest-to-Martel meant it. It hurt more than a million knives in the gut for her to hate him like that… Yet she'd never truly liked him, had she? Never as he'd liked her. All those times he'd hinted it, seeing if she'd pick up on the subtle gestures, yet she never did. From past experiences, he'd learned that if they don't pick up on hints, they're not interested. He would have never looked at another woman again, if he could have had just one day with Sheena… And not in a perverted way, either. Just one day where she loved him as he loved her. But that was never going to happen, and he knew it. It was ironic, really. The one woman who he would give up anything for was the one who _didn't_ worship the ground he walked on. Or maybe it was more than irony. Maybe that was _why_ he liked her as he did, or at least part of it. But what did it matter? He'd likely never see her again anyways.

Dawn found him still sitting on that bench, still staring, and the look of absolute defeat had not even begun to fade from his face. This was the one hour that nobody else was on the streets. All the late-nighters had gone home, and all the early-risers had yet to wake. Only when the sun peeked over the wall that surrounded Meltokio did he snap from his thoughts. The thoughts that had consumed hours upon hours. He glanced back at the sun… It was a hemisphere now, resting right in the center of the arched doorway… 'Follow her,' it seemed to say. 'Here's the exit, now follow her!' But he shook his head slowly. No. She had made clear how she felt about him, and he deserved every bit of it. Part of him cursed himself for telling; another part of him cursed himself for waiting that long to tell. But he had to tell, else the guilt would eat away at him for as long as he'd lived. And if he'd told earlier, he would have missed all those moments in which it actually seemed she might feel something for him. Yet she couldn't have.

'_But the tears…_' He thought back once more.

"_I _hate _you!" She spat with tears in her eyes._

'_Yes! There _were _tears!'_ He realized, though what that meant to him he still didn't know. '_If she was sad, does that mean... Maybe she _did _feel something?_' But the absolute hatred and loathing in her voice outweighed the small chance that she may have loved him back, so he banished that thought to the back of his mind.

He slowly lifted himself from the bench, the hours of sitting without moving sending an ache of protest through his frame. Yet he ignored it. That ache was nothing compared to the pain he'd been harboring since she'd left. And unlike the ache, this pain would last far longer…

The soft rhythm of his white and golden shoes was the only sound in the street. Even when he found himself in front of his mansion, no others had joined him outside their houses. He slipped inside, closing the door softly behind him before leaning heavily against it, his head resting back against it's solid wood form. Cerulean eyes were closed, for he feared that if they stayed open, the tears would return. '_She's gone…'_ Those words whispered through his mind, as if for the first time. He opened his eyes once more, as if needing to see it to believe it. Even though he'd lived in these walls his whole life, the mansion seemed strangely empty… It knew as well as he did that she wasn't returning. And it missed her as well. Her joyous atmosphere filled every nook and cranny of the wooden manor while she was there, yet now… Now it seemed to droop, as if sad for her departure. '_Don't be a fool.'_ Zelos admonished himself. '_It's a house. Houses aren't alive. And... If I weren't such a failure, neither would be Kage.'_

The ascent to his room seemed to take nearly as long as his sit through the night. Step after step after step after step… Part of him wanted to just sit down right there, to lay upon that step and never rise again. For the first time in his life, the Chosen of Tethe'alla actually _missed_ someone… And that was one acute stab in the chest that he could do without. Part of him wanted to hate her for the pain she'd caused, for what he was feeling. This was the first time he'd ever felt so completely broken, and it was all her fault. Yet in a sense, the blame was his in turn, for betraying her to begin with. '_But I had no choice... I couldn't have let them _kill _her...'_ For even back then, when Kage had first captured him to demand the location of Mizuho, the seeds of love had been planted in his heart. Even back then, he'd have given nearly anything to keep her alive. '_I was a selfish fool, that's what I was. I should have made her hate me, truly hate me, before we'd split the group up. Before she returned to Mizuho, and I returned to Meltokio. If she'd hated me, I could have convinced myself that I hated her. Then Kage couldn't have put her life on the line, and I could have resisted his demands. Even back then, I knew I needed to do that. But I couldn't, because I was too damn selfish to let go what tiny trust bonds we had.'_

The redhead found himself at the entrance to the guest room down the hall. _Sheena's_ room. Never again would another soul sleep in that room, he vowed. That would always remain Sheena's room, even in her absence. Even when she hated him more than life itself. That would always be Sheena's room. He slowly opened the door, silently, as if any sudden move would disrupt what memories laid inside. His eyes widened in surprise when they came to rest upon her clothes, still laying on the floor. She'd forgotten her stuff, _all_ of it… Hesitating a moment, Zelos picked his way over to the purple robe. He lowered himself to the floor to lean against the bed, closing his eyes once more and inhaling her scent. The Chosen shot a quick glance to the door to make sure it was closed. It was. Good. That way, her comfortingly beautiful aroma would always remain trapped inside. In that sense, he'd always have a part of her.

After what seemed like hours, yet not nearly long enough, the redhead rose to his feet. A yawn burst from deep in his chest, reminding him that he hadn't slept since the night before last. Glancing down to the unmade bed, he saw an unmistakable dent in the pillow. _Sheena's_ pillow. He slowly slipped his shoes off, crawling into the bed and laying his head carefully on the pillow. Mere moments later, the redhead was asleep, breathing in the scent of the one he'd lost.

_(Awwww... Short, but I guess that's okay? Sheena next. There's one more Zelos chapter, two more Sheena ones. Then the grand finale.)_


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_( Yay. My muse is back. Mwahahaha. I seem to be saying that a lot these days, don't I? So... Three chapters left! On the plus side, this is the first in a series of eight Sheelos fics. I added two more. XD On the downside or it can be the plus side, depending if you like the pairing I'm writing a Kraine fic before I continue the series. So… Anyways. On with teh fic.)_

Many hours had passed since the young woman's capture. She was bound to a tree, and in a sorry state. Her hair, once held back in a sleek raven bun, was clumped with mud and sticking out at odd angles. Her clothing, the likes of which probably cost a small fortune, was as dirty as if she'd rolled in the mud. Not to mention damp… The rain had not ceased until well after they'd entered the forest, and she was soaked to the skin. Only now was she beginning to dry. All her battle scars from the journey, and even some places where no scars were present, stung as if the wounds were fresh. Yet none stung more than the sharp stabbing at her heart.

The chains that bound the summoner's wrists behind the tree were impenetrable, unbreakable. Even if she'd tried to escape, it would have been impossible. But she didn't even try.

Conicere lay where she'd dropped it. They'd ordered she drop it, then back away. Though she lacked a bit on the 'backing away' part, so they pulled her away. One of the smaller, snakelike men went to grab it, but he received that same shock as did Zelos, their _precious source_, more than once. Another tried. You can guess what happened. After that, the men all gave it a ten foot radius, or so it seemed. None of them wanted the shock that sent two of their own yelping into the forest. So it lay there, a mere foot past the extent of her limbs. Even if she'd tried to reach it, she couldn't. But she didn't even try.

The night had passed, as had the morning, and still she hadn't said a word. They had taken her to their camp, which was surprisingly close to where she'd collapsed the night before. She knew not what they intended to do to her, or even when… But if she knew anything of Kage, it would be cruel, and soon.

Morning faded to afternoon, which faded to evening. The hours went by, and still she sat, silent and seemingly stoic. The occasional sneer was sent her way, but nothing she couldn't fake oblivious to. Even when her entire village was slaughtered, the pain had started to fade by the next evening, if only slightly. This pain, however, only seemed to intensify the more she thought on what had happened. It didn't help at all that she couldn't get her mind off it.

Tears bordered her eyes, threatening to burst their dam and slide down her cheeks. By now, her eyes burned with the saltiness of her teardrops… Yet still she couldn't stop them from coming. Now, however, she could not just disappear into the earth, as she had attempted the previous night. She couldn't just fade from existence, fade from this cruel reality, fade from this pain she felt so acutely. So the tears kept on coming. Yet she stubbornly blinked them away; if there was one thing that she couldn't do, it was to let Kage see her tears. Deep down, she knew she was to die, though what sort of torment would occur first was still a mystery. She guessed she had two weeks tops. Four days minimum, they could probably cram enough torture in by then. The ninja was the last of her kind, and she could not disgrace her people, alive or dead, by going out crying. Even if she'd tried to push the tears away, she couldn't. But to keep them from showing, _that_ was something she could manage. Had to manage. There was no other way.

Yet she failed at the one thing she had a chance of succeeding at. By the smirk on the brunette's face, he'd seen the tears she fought so hard to hide.

"Whasamatter? Miss your idiot _lover boy_?" Kage sneered, striding over to stand above her. Sheena felt a strange twinge of satisfaction that he too avoided her card. Yet to his words, she remained silent, merely turning her head rebelliously. He snorted in amusement. "You really fell for him, didn't you? Pathetic. I expected better from you. A _true_ ninja could tell if someone _really_ cares, or if they were merely acting like Zelos." He spat, his words mocking her very being. She didn't look at him, _couldn't_ look at him. But she couldn't just sit there either.

"Shut up…" She murmured, as loud as she could trust her voice to hide the pain his words inflicted. Was he truly just pretending that whole time? '_It makes sense... More sense than anything I could have come up with. My god, I'm such an _idiot_!'_ He smirked even wider, knowing he'd struck a nerve.

"Ooh, does the truth hurt? He played you, Sheena. I bet he was _laughing_ at you in his mind every time you fell for his lovey-dovey act." Continued the muscular brunette contemptuously.

"Shut up." Her voice was a little louder this time, a little stronger.

"You're a disgrace. So hopelessly in love with someone who doesn't give a damn whether you live or die."

"Shut up!" She cried, his words digging into her chest like a knife. Her gaze met his, and the flame of defiance it held shocked even him, from one so hopelessly broken as her. Yet it only fueled his fire.

"Every bat of his pretty-boy lashes was part of an act to lure you in, to bring you closer to him, to _me_." He continued, delivering the finishing blow. She gasped slightly, as if struck.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" She screamed at her tormentor. Pushing against the chains 'round her wrists with all her might, she at long last fought her restraints. She intended to break free, and to pound every inch of pain back into that smirking face of his. Yet when she found she couldn't, she sank back against the tree once more. And at last the tears could be bridled no more. Sheena Fujibayashi cried the tears she'd vowed not to cry. She cried the tears of defeat, while lying helpless at her enemy's feet. '_I truly _am _pathetic...'_ At these tears, Kage seemed satisfied. He smirked once more, turned, and walked back into the bustle of the camp. Yet the weeping did not cease. They were silent tears, silent enough not to attract attention, yet they were tears nonetheless. And as the moon rose over the horizon, the summoner fell into a fitful sleep, tears still glistening silver on her cheeks.

_(Sad, yes, and definitely short, but I had to have that in there, else her next chapter won't work. Heh. I had to get Kage in there to poke at her feelings so she got out of the lifeless grief-stricken state and more into the hateful state. Though she's still sad, and very much so. Read and Review! D)_


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

_(Mree. The last Zelos one before the end chapter. I suppose you're disappointed, eh? haha, I had to rewrite disappointed like six times before I got the spelling right, and even now I'm not sure. Is it two s's and ONE p? ah screw it Nah, probably not, I sux at Zelos anyways. Mree... On with teh fic!)_

"_I trusted you!" She cried, backing up, the horrified look ever-present. "No!" She murmured, nearly too shocked to believe it._

"_Sheena, I-"_

"_NO!"_

"_Sheena, please!"_

"_NOOO!" With each word spoken, she backed up more and more, horror-struck and wishing to be far away from the man who was responsible for the death of her comrades._

"_Wait! Sheena!" His voice held a desperation like no other, and he rose to his feet, stepping to close the gap between them once more. Sheena only stumbled backwards faster._

"_Get away from me!" She cried. He stepped closer once more. _

"_Sheena…" His voice was weak, for he'd given up hope that she would return to him. He'd already lost, lost it all._

"_I hate you!" She spat with tears in her eyes. Up till now things had seemed familiar. Familiar, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't have changed how it ended. But here was where things changed. Instead of fleeing as he'd expected her to do, she drew her cards, and behind her appeared Kage, the smirk still present. _

"_Feel the pain, Zelos. Feel the pain that you've had coming for a long time." His voice echoed, as if coming from the sky and the earth itself. Faster than even Zelos had thought possible, the brunette's double-bladed staff was swinging straight at his throat..._

The redhead shot straight up in bed. He frantically looked around him a moment, searching out his attacker, before realizing he had been dreaming. '_But it seemed so _real_... It seemed like I was there once more, that she was leaving me for the second time...'_ And the pain had doubled, as if she truly had left him twice. He collapsed back down onto the bed, half wishing to return to the dream and let his throat be slit as Kage had intended. Kage... It was all _his_ fault. And a new feeling formed within the redhead's mind, parting the pain like the red sea and coming straight to his attention. Vengeance. It was too late to get Sheena back; she already hated him. Yet Kage was still out there somewhere, on the loose… And he needed to pay for all the trouble he'd caused. For forcing him to aid in the destruction of Mizuho, for giving the one he cared for most a reason to despise him... For hurting her when he'd promised he wouldn't.

"You said you'd spare her, you bastard!" Zelos roared to the sky, hoping his words or even the general feeling behind them would somehow reach the man who'd sent his life to hell in a handbasket. "But you couldn't leave well enough alone, now could you? You couldn't let a single one escape, one that meant so much… to me…" The rage in his words, as well as the volume, faded away at his last sentence. Though the need for vengeance was still there, the hurt had recovered from it's brief interruption and had began tearing at his mind and soul once more. It was then that he knew what he had to do. He had to find Kage, to kill him. Kill him before he killed Sheena.

It was that thought that got him out of bed, into his shoes, down the seemingly endless stairs, and out onto the town. In fact, it was that thought that would keep him going for the next few days, and the massive series of events that would occur. He knew not of those events when he set out; no, he just knew what he had to do.

Down the streets he strode, his jaw set in determination and his eyes distant yet focused at the same time. Any who crossed his path could tell he was a man on a mission, and they steered clear of his path. Even his hunnies left him be that morning, somewhat shocked at the sudden change in their Zelos. Yet a familiar shine to his right caught his eye. He paused a moment, turning to look at what caught his attention, and found himself in front of the formal attire store. The shine that had caught his eye was the diamond-clad evening gown on the foremost mannequin in the window display, the gown that had been there for as long as he could remember. He'd always wondered if it was there to attract customers, or because it just couldn't sell. But that didn't matter anymore.

As if in a trance, the redhead stepped slowly closer to the window, placing his hand softly on the glass. He closed his cerulean eyes, trying to remember the joy indescribable by words that had shone on Sheena's face when he'd given her her formal attire… Yet instead, that look of hatred pushed forth, and he snapped his eyes open frantically to escape it. Now, he merely gazed absently in the window, longing for what once was. If he could see her smile just one more time…

"Are you gonna stand there gawking or are you gonna come in and pay a visit?" Scolded the keeper of the shop, though her eyes were smiling warmly.

"Rose…" He murmured, for some reason unable to meet her gaze.

"Hmm? What's troubling you, Chosen One? Come in, come in, we'll discuss it over a cup of warm tea and honey." He turned and gazed off down the street, in the direction he was headed, and knew he had to continue to head. But vengeance could wait a half hour, couldn't it? It had been far too long since he'd last sat in the back rooms of her shop on her cloudlike couch, drinking her delicious tea and honey. He didn't know what it was, but the tea tasted _magical_… If that was even possible. Turning back to Rose, he nodded, and allowed her to usher him inside. She locked the door behind them, rising to her tiptoes to flip the 'open' sign to 'closed'. He followed silently as she led him through the door at the back of the shop and into her quaint but cozy living room.

"Do sit down, I'll go fetch some tea." She prompted, before turning to scurry from the room. Zelos did as he was told, sinking gratefully into lush crimson cushions of her loveseat couch. Even his own couches, made by Tethe'alla's finest furnishers and such, had never felt this soft. This was like resting on a cloud… He'd always wondered what it would be like to sleep on a cloud. The Chosen had once considered trying it, but it wasn't worth that chill, that loneliness that came with his wings. He wouldn't have been able to enjoy it in that altered state anyways… '_Y'know, that feeling I get when I use my wings is kinda like how I'm feeling now... Except that feeling is cold, and this one is hot, like a stab in the stomach. But it's that same feeling, like I'm completely and totally alone...'_

"Come now, drink this, and tell me what's wrong." Insisted Rose, her voice bringing Zelos from his thoughts with a start. He accepted the tea she held out to him, letting the smooth honeyed substance slide down his throat and relishing it a moment before returning his attention to the shopkeeper.

"Nothing's wrong…" Though with that tone of voice, he couldn't even convince _himself_.

"Nothing wrong, my boot! Of course there's something wrong. I've never seen you look so dead since your mum-…" She trailed off right there, eyes wide in surprise. She'd almost slipped. Last time she'd mentioned anything of his mother, he'd left then and there. She saw the Chosen immediately tense up, and she fidgeted nervously with her seamstress's apron. They stayed this way for a short while before he relaxed, a dry smile on his lips.

"When did you get off talking to your Chosen like that?" He teased, or attempted to, though his voice was nowhere near teasing.

"Well pardon me for caring, O' Almighty Chosen." She bantered back, but it didn't even earn one of his usually abundant grins. She sighed softly. "If you're not going to tell me, that's fine. Now…" She paused, looking about for a change of subject, to add a lighter mood to the conversation. Her eyes fell on the pattern he'd given her for Sheena's apparel. "Now where's that Sheena lass of yours? You're scarcely without her these days." His eyes filled with indescribable pain, and she knew she'd said the wrong thing.

"Gone…" In one grief-stricken word, he told her all she needed to know. She placed a comforting hand on his.

"Shame, really. I liked that one…" She murmured, her voice filled with sadness. Her last statement was really saying something, for he knew how she despised most of the floozies he'd brought into her shop in the past two years. He lifted his eyes to meet her own.

"So did I." He softly replied, and the pain in his voice nearly broke the elder woman's heart. Silence enveloped the pair for the next few minutes, a silence nearly as heavy as his grief. At last the shopkeeper managed to break it.

"So where are you off to now?" She quietly questioned.

"I'm off to kill the one responsible, the one that got us into this mess." In his voice was a determination she'd never heard before. She knew right then that he'd either kill this man he sought, or die trying. So she didn't try and talk him out of it; instead, she merely nodded. "I need to go…" He started to rise, having finished his tea. She brought her hand up to his as he rose, signaling him to pause.

"Chosen One… If she loves you, she will return to you. No matter what you've done, she will return." For a moment, the two's eyes locked. Then, slowly, he nodded. And the Chosen's journey was underway once more.

-----

Unhurriedly but purposefully, he followed the path winding through the Gaoracchia Forest. He was heading for Mizuho, though what drew him there he didn't know. Perhaps he had to see what sort of destruction they had truly caused; perhaps he thought to find clues there. It didn't really matter why, he just knew he was going. The trees themselves seemed to call him, draw him in the right path. Or was he just going crazy?

"Help! Somebody, help me!" Cried a voice from somewhere nearby. The redhead's heart leapt to his throat. He knew that voice. And he never thought he'd hear it again.

Before he could even process what was happening, he'd set off at speeds only a seraph could reach, tearing through the forest swiftly and violently in a mad scramble to save the one he knew that voice belonged to. It didn't occur to him that she'd reject his help in spite, though in all likelihood she would; he just knew he had to get there, and fast.

"Help! Someone, please help!" The voice was frantic, and now so was Zelos, a red-crested blur through the trees. It seemed to be coming from the clearing up ahead… Yet when he raced into it's light, nobody was there.

The clearing was completely empty. Not even a bird or a bee went about their business here. The forest was silent… too silent. Suddenly, an all to familiar muscled brunette stepped from behind a tree.

"Welcome, _Chosen One_."

_(Ooooh, somebody's gonna get their ash kicked. That's ass with a lisp, by the way. I'm in a crazy mood right now. I've been switching off a British accent and a Jamaican one all day. xD)_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_(One more leeeeeeft! Aww, I'm gonna miss you guys. –sniffle- Especially you, Minnie. And The Zelda Master and Twilight Trinity. You three are my most faithfullest reviewers. –clings to you all- Okay, deep breeeeaths. I'll be back soon, you'll see! When I get the Kraine fic out of my system, you've got seven more Sheelos chapter fics on the way. Not to mention a few one-shots. Hehe. I dunno, it's gonna seem so weird not to have a fanfic going... )_

It wasn't noise, bright lights, or cold winds that woke the ninja this time; no, it was the lack thereof. She opened her hazel eyes to find the camp nearly deserted, with only five or six men left, of the twenty-five or so that had been there just previously. '_Though I suppose it wasn't _just _previously, for that was last night.'_ She reasoned. Her face was still red with tears, though only slightly, the rest overnight having greatly lessened the visibility of such markings. Yet this morning dawned so different than the last. She had to escape.

"Lookit that, boys. She's tryin' to bust free." Sneered one of them, the nearest, who had obviously seen her mutinous gaze. Three others laughed, before one of them joined in.

"She could probly do it, too. All she'd have to do is chew one of 'er arms off." Snorted the second.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't put it above 'er. Didja see that look she gave Kage last night? Ready to kill, that one is." Responded the first. Then a third piped in, softer.

"Though I don't see why she should waste the effort. Kage says she dies at dawn."

At this, all four looked to the sun.

"But it's past dawn, innit?" Questioned another skeptically.

"If you buffoons would listen, you'd know these things. Kage had an emergency to attend to, and the moment he returns he's gonna…" The man trailed off, glancing pointedly to the ninja. The other three thought a moment, then smirks slowly spread on their mugs.

"No use tormenting 'er, now is there? Not enough time to let it all sink in." The others murmured in agreement before returning to their posts. The ninja sat in shock. She'd thought she'd have at least three more days to work out her escape plan! Yet the way the smaller thug said it, Kage could be back any minute, and her time would be up. So the time to plan was now.

The summoner worked her fingers around the chains, through every hole and contour, searching for the lock that held it all together. Locating it, she slipped a slender fingernail inside. For precious minutes she worked the lock, before sighing in exasperation and withdrawing her fingernail once more. Time for Plan B.

Her card still lay a foot beyond her shoes, the vulpine face of Corrine winking at her from it's surface. She had to reach it. It was the only way. Unless she truly intended to chew off her hand, though that option didn't much appeal to her. It'd take to long, not to mention she'd have but one arm for the rest of her life. No, definitely not a good plan.

She glanced to the men, to find them all sitting lazily by the fire, betting at a game of cards. Sheena smirked slightly, glad that these particular thugs were so negligent. They wouldn't notice if she moved, as long as it wasn't anything quick. Slowly, keeping one eye trained on the men, she slid her rear as far out from the tree as it would reach, extending her foot to it's full extent, yet the tip of her toe just barely brushed the paper-thin edge. She cursed under her breath, gritting her teeth and reaching still farther. The chains that bound her hands dug into her wrists, and she could feel a small trickle of blood slide from where the metal was the harshest. Her toes reached over the edge, resting atop her card. Yet it wasn't enough. Still farther she forced herself to stretch, and farther still. Just when she was afraid her wrists might snap, her foot got traction on the card, and it slid slightly her way. Slowly, as not to draw attention, she withdrew the card, allowing the warmth and power seep into her feet. For a moment she sat, allowing her tortured wrists a moment of recuperation. Bit by bit, she slid the card around the tree to where her hands were mere moments before. Swiveling back to her former position, the ninja wrapped her fingers around Conicere, and knew then and there that she was free. Grasping it firmly in her hands, she drew a deep breath of preparation.

"Ruler of All, I summon thee! Origin, release me from my bindings!" She cried, as loud as she possibly could. A whooshing sound was heard, a faint whisper of 'Granted…' sounded in her ear, and suddenly the chains were no more. She whipped her wrists around the tree to cradle them to her chest, tentatively examining the bleeding wound, though only a moment could be spent nursing them before the thugs realized she was free and decided to do something about it. She leapt to her feet, readying Conicere, yet the first man was nearly upon her, and there was no time for words. So she resorted to something so un-Sheena-ish that few would believe she'd done it. In mere milliseconds, her fist had made contact with the first man's face, a sharp crack telling her she'd hit her target. He fell to the ground, bleeding from the nose. Then her fist swung at the second, producing the same result. The third was a little farther off, so she hastily muttered the spell that called upon Conicere's mana.

"Mirage Seal!" cried the summoner, and suddenly she was everywhere, or so it seemed to the three remaining men. They whirled frantically, eyes wide, swinging wildly at the many Sheena's and trying to find which was real. By the time the mirage had started to clear, she was ready. Swinging her card at the men, she roared, "Serpent Seal Pinion!" When the dust cleared, two more men were lying unmoving on the ground.

The last one backed up a step, slightly fearful of the ninja's wrath, yet she made no move to harm him.

"Where is Kage!" Sheena demanded, her gaze still murderous. Despite what had just happened to his comrades, this man no longer cowered. In fact, a sardonic sneer spread on his lips.

"Off killing your _precious Chosen_." He replied contemptuously.

"Zelos!" She gasped, barely audible. Kage had twenty men with him, maybe more! Zelos didn't stand a chance! Though her rage, her hatred, her hurt at his betrayal burned fierce in her heart, there was something fiercer, and as much as she hated him for what he did, she couldn't let him be killed. Even if he had merely been feigning, she had not. '_Live, Laugh, Love. Time to fulfill my end of the deal._' With that, she whirled and took off into the forest once more, completely forgetting the man she'd spared. He'd later tell those of other bands of rouges that he had fought her off single-handedly, and she had fled in fear. He couldn't let his dignity go just like that, now could he?

Many minutes passed, and still there had been no sign of even the general direction Kage had headed. Sheena was growing frantic, for each second wasted brought the chances up of being too late. Too late to save him, too late to kill the one who'd caused all this.

"Heavenly Messengers, lead me to Zelos!" She cried to the sky, sick of running and not seeming to get anywhere.

"This way…" Whispered three distinct voices in unison, and a heavy flower-scented wind pushed her down a path to her left. She turned on a dime, racing that way, and following the aid that Sylph was offering her.

"Zelos, hang on, just a little while longer…"

_(Mwahahaha. Wow, it's like my second chapter today. Heh. But I'll wait a bit to upload it, so you guys have time to read the last one first. Mwahaha.)_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_(This is it. The grand finale. I'm so gonna miss you guys... –cries- I'm so pathetic. Hah.)_

"Welcome, _Chosen One_." Smirked Kage in amusement. "We've been expecting you…" As if on cue, twenty or so men stepped from the shadows of the trees, completely encircling the two men. The redhead's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He'd raced right into an ambush! Zelos slowly spun, watching the circle of brutish knife-wielding thugs as it closed in on he and his enemy. The enemy he'd helped more than hurt. '_Damn him again, for making me do that to Sheena!'_ Wait, hadn't Sheena been who drew him to the clearing, her and her cries for help. He spun once more, gazing past the thugs and scouring the woods for the raven-haired ninja.

"Sheena!" He called in uncertainty, all the while watching the men who encircled him, practically drooling in anticipation. The men all burst out laughing, as if he'd said something incredibly funny. He whirled on Kage, silently demanding answers. The brunette laughed as well, but answers were what he gave.

"Yes, your darling Sheena is in distress. But she is far from here. No," Kage paused, and when he spoke again his voice mimicked Sheena's flawlessly. "It was I who called you here today." Zelos's eyes widened once more, cursing himself for being so stupid. '_How could I not have known the difference? How could I have walked right into an ambush! An AMBUSH? Ugh. If I die here, it'll be because I'm too stupid and trusting to live.'_ His heart and mind burned with rage. Here was the man he'd sought to kill, yet he was unable to try without the threat of twenty daggers in his back.

"Haven't you done enough?" He demanded furiously. Kage merely sneered once more.

"Not nearly. Though it's an added bonus for me that your little ninja is so easy to fool. I left her hating you more than when I found her! Heh. I do hope she stops her crying though. Much more of that, and her chains will rust clean off!" Zelos cursed under his breath. Kage always knew what to say to get to him. But still. Sheena? _Crying?_

"What have you done to her?"

"Nothing! It's all _your_ doing. Your betrayal, how you _feigned love_ to lure her into your trap." He paused to let his words sink in.

"I-… My-… I did _WHAT_?" The Chosen choked out in disbelief. "What have you told her?"

"Enough chatter. Time to die."

-----

Faster now could the ninja race, having found her ninja attire dropped in a heap on the path and changed into it in record time. She felt much more at home in her robe than her formal attire and heels, not to mention the fact that finding them meant Zelos had to have come that way. She felt like a true ninja once more. '_He'd better still be alive, or they'll have hell to pay!'_ She vowed, leaning her torso forward a bit to pick up speed.

All at once, the winds had died down. The forest was not silent any longer… No, now Sheena could hear the sounds of men, many men. This only pushed her faster, so fast she feared she would fall and seriously injure herself, yet to slow down would be to risk Zelos's life. Which was something she'd done quite enough lately.

Pulling into a clearing, she spotted the men, all twenty of them, though about five were on the ground, dead or in a state close to it. The remaining men, however, were all clustered around something laying on the ground, and proceeding to pummel it. Kage was nearby, on one knee, bleeding profusely from the side, but attempting to hide it with both hands. Oh the irony, the exact same injury he'd crippled her with for a while earlier on in her journey. When she'd had to let Zelos carry her, those two days. Zelos… Zelos? Where was he! It couldn't be… Her gaze shifted back to the thing on the ground, and to answer her fears, a flash of crimson hair was seen.

"No!" She cried, whipping Conicere from beneath her pink ribbon and muttering at breakneck speeds, so as to have the seal ready when she came close enough. Racing closer and closer, she continued to mutter, and at last, when it was nearly too late, she shouted, "CYCLONE SEAL!"

All the men that stood over the red-haired form were blown from the spot by a powerful gust of wind, aided by Sylph, who were still fulfilling their promise to help her find Zelos. Kneeling beside the bleeding Chosen, she swung her card in a circle around the pair, calling out 'Guardian Seal' to complete the barrier. It would only last a few minutes at the most, and this time, the men had all the time in the world to wait for it to fade.

Sheena then turned her attention back to Zelos, who had obviously seen better battles. He was covered in blood, though whether it was his or his foe's, the ninja didn't know. Tears rose to her eyes, and she felt a lump rise in her throat, making it near impossible to breathe. Zelos… was dead.

A tear slipped down her cheek, landing on his crimson-stained hand. '_No, not Zelos. Anyone but him...' _She pled, though to who she was pleading, even _she_ didn't know.

As if by miracle, she then noticed the faint rise and fall of his chest. Very, VERY faint, but still there. Her heart soared. '_He's ALIVE!'_ A smile of hope and relief forced itself to her lips, despite the bleak situation, and now her tears were those of relief. The summoner lifted her hand from the grass to reach for a Life Bottle, but found it wet with blood. She looked back to her redheaded companion a moment, and was dismayed to find that it was seeping from a wound in his chest. '_NO!'_ She refused to give up. Hastily pulling a Life Bottle from her small store of supplies, she brought the bottle to his slightly parted lips and carefully tipped the liquid down his throat.

"Don't die on me, Zelos. I can't lose you again." She insisted, before rising to her feet. With a deep breath, she prepared for the task to come. "Maiden of the Mist, Undine!" A blue mist appeared above her, Undine in mana form. "Red Giant, Ruler of Hellfire, Efreet!" Red mist appeared beside the blue. "Heavenly Messengers, Sylph!" Green joined the red and the blue. "Disciple of Frigid Ice, Celsius!" Blue. She knew she had to do this. "Hammer of Godly Thunder, Volt!" Yellow. No matter what it cost, she had to do this. "Servant of Mother Earth, Gnome!" Brown. It would likely kill her. "Envoy from the Dark Abyss, Shadow!" Black. She had to do this, even if it _did_ kill her. "Light of the Heavens, Luna!" White. And she knew for a fact that it would. Pausing a moment, she took one last look down Zelos. If only he'd been awake to see the look in her eyes, the deep, eternal adoration they held, he may have stopped her. But then she turned back to the mist, and the enemy. "Source of Heaven, Earth, and Everything In Between, Ruler of All, Origin!" The mists took on an unearthly glow. Her rage-filled gaze was set on Kage. "Combine as one, and lend me your strength to rid this world of one more evil."

She raised a hand toward the mana, drawing it to her. By now the men had realized what she was doing, and were fumbling to turn and run. Yet before they could get more than a step, the glowing mana had come down to her palm, into her body. She felt untouchable, though the ninja knew that was merely because of the mana. Throwing her hand in Kage's direction and holding it straight with her other hand 'round her wrist, she cried, "MANA CANNON!" A light brighter than the sun itself filled the clearing and the forest around it.

Sheena closed her eyes tight against it, else it would have blinded her. Moments later, she felt the mana subside, and she peeked through one eye to see if the light had as well. It had. And Kage was no more. Nor were his men, for none of them had run far enough, fast enough to escape the blast. Yet there were no bodies… The Mana Cannon was so thoroughly destructive that not a drop of blood revealed what had occurred. What surprised the summoner, though, was that the trees were still intact. That the mana had only targeted her enemies.

Suddenly, it felt as if the energy had been sucked from her body. She staggered slightly, falling to one knee. '_This is the part where I die.'_ She thought dryly. By then she could barely hold herself upright. Yet just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Aside from an incredible vertigo, this was as bad as it seemed to get. A wave of relief washed over her, and she attempted to rise, but dizziness forced her back down. She placed a hand on the grass to steady herself, leaning heavily against it. An unexpected warmth suddenly washed over her grounded hand, and for a moment she attributed it to the blood rushing her fingers, but why would it do that? She glanced down, and to her surprise, the warmth she'd felt was not from any rushing of blood. It was from another hand. _His_ hand.

She looked to his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes, and a slight smile pushed forth as she resisted all urges to hug him tightly in relief. Yet he didn't smile back. No. Instead he seemed somewhat… confused.

"Why did… you save me?" His voice was weak, almost impossibly so. She looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer. For a long while, there was silence.

"Why did you betray all of Mizuho?" was her response, her gaze still averted, and her voice still holding a trace of bitterness. Zelos flinched slightly at her tone, but his answer was immediate.

"They threatened to take from me something that meant more than Mizuho, or anything else in Tethe'alla." He replied simply. '_What was it? His gold and jewels, perhaps? Probably. Or his hunnies. Yeah, that's probably it.'_

"And what was that?" She demanded skeptically. He paused, obviously considering his reply. At last it came, a mere whisper.

"You."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and they jerked back to the redhead's, searching his gaze for any sign that he may be lying. Yet there was nothing there but a relief that just may have matched her own. He meant it. And if her heart wasn't soaring before, it sure was now.

"To answer your question," she started, choosing her words carefully, "Twice now I've failed those who depended on me. Those I cared about. I couldn't let that happen again…" Pausing, she took a breath, before putting her other hand on top of his. "I love you, Zelos."

Now it was his turn for surprise, though in his weakened state it wasn't as visible. After the shock wore off, he smiled. And so did she. His wish from Meltokio rang through his head, 'If only I could see her smile once more'. Wish granted. Then Rose's words, 'if she loves you, she will return to you.' Rose was right. Where had she gotten so wise? Zelos didn't know, but he was glad she had.

"I love you too, Sheena." His voice was stronger, for in her words she'd given him faith. He rose to lean on his elbows rather than flat on his back. She leaned down to meet him. And Sheena Fujibayashi and Zelos Wilder shared their first kiss.

_(ITS OVER! GRAH! NOOOOO! I WANT MOOOORE. –falls over- Well… My email/MSN Messenger is my AIM is ArissaMay121. Feel free to contact me. Bye, everyone! )_


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